The Little Finstock
by DayByrd
Summary: Stiles had a emotional day in the hospital with his mom and meets a girl. She is his, whether she knows it or not and he is determined to look after her. This becomes more difficult once three friends take a walk into the woods to see a body. Her Uncle also make thing just a bit more difficult for poor Stiles. At least the dogs are on his side...
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Prologue

Tears blurred his vision as he briskly exited his mother's hospital room. Her words _**burned**_ in his mind. _His fault- he did this to her- he was_ _ **killing**_ _her…_ Stiles was a smart 8 year old, but he hurt to much to think logically right now. Those words would haunt him, he would never be able to forget them. They had been _**branded**_ in his mind, a scar that only he could see. He could not even think of where he was walking, his feet just carried him away from that room.

After what felt like years, he focused on his surroundings. He had just walked into another hospital room, diving into one with a closed door to avoid being seen by some nursed walking farther down the corridor. The lights were dimmed, not off completely, but it was significantly darker than the bright hallways he had escaped.

"Are you alright?" a soft voice had replaced the scornful words of his mother. Stiles looked up to see who spoke and locked eyes his whiskey brown with wide dark chocolate of a girl. He certainly was not what he expected, the girl looked young, probably around his age and certainly too young to be in the hospital. Words would not come to him and further inspection revealed the reason she was in the hospital bed. Both her legs were elevated and had some sort of braces instead of full casts. There were pins and bits of metal sticking out of the skin from what he could see. Her left arm had a black Velcro sling keeping it pinned tightly to her chest. The right arm seemed to have escaped with less damage, it only had a black brace on the wrist area. Of the pale pink skin exposed, 90% was mottled with dark black and purple bruises and cuts of various length and thicknesses. Her head had some thick bandages too and the bits of dark hair sticking out looked like it had been unevenly chopped. Both chocolate orbs were stark against the black raccoon mask of bruises. He had to wince, she must have been in a terrible accident.

Her right arm raised to beckon him over, "Why don't you sit down, you don't look like you should be walking around in such an emotional state…" When she spoke again, his feet obeyed without his own input. Stiles found himself sitting in a chair right next to her bed. He looked up at her as if waiting for more commands. The bed put her about a foot taller than his seated form so his face was even with here side. The girl gave him a small comforting smile, the split on it probably stinging from the small movement. Stiles was touched to receive that little smile from this stranger, despite the pain it obviously caused her. He still couldn't find his voice to even introduce himself to the girl he had disturbed.

"If you need to cry, than you should go ahead. I promise I won't judge you for it. Crying can be better than medicine sometimes…", her good arm reached out and rested on his head. Despite looking about his age, she was so much smaller than him. Her tiny hand sent warmth down his body and gave him comfort he felt he didn't deserve. At that thought the dam that kept the tears stemmed when he entered the room burst free. Tears flowed free and fast as he buried himself in the mystery girl's side. He felt more bandages there too. The girl combed her finders through his short hair slowly as he sobbed loudly. Stiles couldn't even find it in himself to feel embarrassed for his ugly crying. The girl just pulled his head farther into her side and continued to run her hand over his head.

Despite the awkward angle his head was at, the slight embrace was a huge comfort. It felt right to be held by this mystery girl while he hurt so much. He looked up and saw understanding in those big brown eyes. Warmth bubbled deep inside him and he felt more together than he had since his mother was diagnosed. She had no idea how much he appreciated her presence and the comfort she was giving him.

"Do you think you are ready to talk about it?", she continued to run her fingers through his hair as she spoke to him. He gave a nod after a moment of thought. An explanation was the least he could do for running into his room.

Stiles finally felt his throat open, "M-my mother is… _really_ sick…they call it frontotemporal dementia…today was a really… _bad_ day…" he couldn't look away from the girl as he spoke.

She looked thoughtful as she listened, "I think I understand a little…my grandpa has dementia…not sure how different the two are but she hasn't been acting…right, correct? Like she gets angry and upset? Extreme mood swings?" Stiles nodded at her question. "You know she isn't… _really_ angry right? The doctors always said that the brain is really delicate and I know grandpa got angry over really strange things or didn't make sense. You look like you did something wrong, but it isn't your fault you know…" she trailed off and while he had been told similar thing before, they made more sense out of her mouth.

The girl glanced away quickly, trying to find the correct words, "I know it must be painful to see her like this, but don't let that anger or mean words to taint your good memories of her. It seems…more serious than regular dementia, but just remember that the mother you love is still there, she is just a little lost…" The words were soothing on the burn his mom's scorching words had left there. A balm that didn't erase the pain, but helped ease it just enough.

"It can hit even the young and there is no cure…it is killing her. M-my mom is dying…" the words came out as a sob. It was probably the first time he explained it to someone. Even Scott learned about it from his own mom who worked at the hospital. The words released a little pressure he didn't realize was there. The girl pulled him close again in as much as a hug as she could give from the bed with only one working arm. Tears flowed once more and Stiles felt like his eyes would fall out from crying so much in one day.

There was a knock and the heavy hospital door swung open. A nurse poked her head into the room and she did a double take at seeing the extra person there. Her arms were full of various colored iv bags. There was a big red one that really stood out from the other, which were clear or yellow tinted liquids. Stiles swallowed when he realized that was a bag of blood. As bad as she looked, that bag made him really understand how much damage she was healing from. The nurse walked to the side Stiles was positioned at. He now saw the tubes coming out of the girl's inner forearm. It was in a position that kind of hid it from his view before, or that is what he told himself.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to change out your bags sweetie. You weren't awake when we started this set. We need to give you more blood, since you lost so much before the doctor could stop it. This yellow bag has an antibiotic to prevent infections. The little one is a painkiller." The girl made a face at that one, her mouth opened as if she were about to protest, but the nurse cut her off, "We know how you feel, but the doctor said there was no way you were allowed to go without because of your extensive injuries. Now this big one just has saline fluids. You aren't allowed any food or water yet so this is how we will keep you hydrated." The nurse was quick and efficient with switching the bags. She pushed some buttons on the machine the tubes went through before continuing to her arm.

When the nurse was done with the iv, she waked to the wall where there was a whiteboard and wrote her name, "Riley, I am Nurse Ann and it is very nice to meet you. I will be here for the rest of the night. You can push the call button if you need me at all. If you feel ANY pain I want you to let me know. It is important to manage it so you can make a full recovery." The room remained silent as the nurse exited.

"So, your name is Riley?" Stiles finally broke the quiet, "Mine is Stiles- Stiles Stilinski- well its not really my first name, just what I prefer to be called…My name is like…really weird and most can't even pronounce it so 'Stiles' just better for everyone…" he spewed the word out with a single breath. The girl, now dubbed Riley laughed but quickly brought her hand to the side of her chest.

"Please stop! It hurts to laugh so hard." She patted his head like a small animal with a painful smile, "Stiles is a great name and I'm sure your real first name isn't that bad. My name is Rylie Finstock and it is very nice to meet you! I was named after a guy my dad lost a bet to so it couldn't be worse than that!" She rambled in a similar way to Stiles, which made him feel a little better for word vomiting over her. He started laughing, for what felt like the first time in an eternity.

'This girl must be an angel', he couldn't help but think, she had made the pain go away and he could almost float now. It had been such a bad day, his mom saying such painful words. He had felt like he was dying before meeting Riley, but now…The door opened again, and the too smiling kids looked to see who it was this time. Stiles was surprised to see his father standing there.

"The nurse said she saw you in here Stiles. Hello again Riley, how are you feeling? I apologize if my little delinquent has been disturbing your rest…" Stiles felt a wave of shame flow over him, his dad was right…Here he had been emotionally unloading on Riley, who was in the hospital and could not use 3 of her 4 limbs. Even the smiles he felt so much comfort from had caused her pain! He was looking at the floor until he felt her hand on his head again. He looked up quickly to see a gentle smile on her round face.

"It is good to see you again sheriff. Stiles hasn't bothered me at all. He is actually my first visitor besides you or the staff here, which has been great. It's really nice not to be so alone here…" Riley trailed off and Stiles felt warm at her words. He wondered if his dad was the responder to her accident of something, to have been here before.

His mouth opened before he thought about it, "How do you know Riley, dad?" His father looked strained at the question and glanced at Riley without answering Stiles. Riley looked at her lap and grimaced, her hand was still moving through his hair.

"Um, my…my mother has some problems too… she isn't sick really…she does some things that are not exactly legal. Sometimes the -um- _drugs_ cause her to get really crazy. When she isn't…using…she gets really angry too…" Stiles felt ice crawl down his spine at those words. He reached up and took her hand in his. He felt sick from what he was hearing, "So she was in trouble and your dad was coming to arrest her…she got really angry when she heard from a friend they were coming to get her…she just got _so_ angry and…well your dad got there just in time. He saved me, she was gonna…" her voice caught in her throat and white hot anger flowed through Stiles. He gripped her hand as he realized what she was saying without saying it outright. Her _mother_ hurt Riley, she would have _killed_ Riley if his dad didn't show up.

Stile stood up and put his arms around the girl. The roles finally reversed and Stiles was the one offering Riley the comfort she desperately needed and defiantly deserved. There was a hand on his back and Stiles realized his dad must have moved away from the door while Riley was speaking. He offered both kids his support while Riley cried into Stiles' chest.

The Stilinski men stayed with Riley for at leas an hour more. It was pitch black out when they finally headed home. The car was silent, but it wasn't a bad silence. His dad was really a hero, he had saved Riley's life. She told him that she would be in the hospital for a while yet, and he vowed to visit whenever he had a free moment. He told himself that anytime he wasn't at school or with his mom at the hospital he would be in Riley's room at the hospital. After hearing what his dad had saved her from, he decided he would not allow Riley to be hurt again. _He_ would look after Riley from now on.

As far as Stiles was concerned, she was _his_ person now and he would keep her safe and happy. It wasn't exactly the most healthy thought process, as the counselor had gone over with him before. His father was making him talk to someone, had been since his mom was diagnosed. The shrink though the possessiveness started once he found out his mom was dying, but that isn't true. He had been possessive of Scott, one of his only friends, since they met in the sandbox. He may or may not have chased others encroaching on the friendship away, but Scott didn't seem to care. Riley was his now, even if she didn't know it yet and her living incubator could shunt off.


	2. Chapter 2: Wolf Moon Part 1

Chapter 1: Wolf Moon Part 1

Riley Finstock was getting ready for bed. Her long chocolate hair had been pulled up into a big messy bun on top of her head to keep it out of her face as she washed her face. The green moisturizing face mask was given to her by her friend Lydia to combat the drying cold of a moderate California winter. She had thrown on an old t-shirt she stole from Stiles and a pair of cotton gym shorts from middle school. She looked like a hot mess, but she was comfy and didn't care. Just don't tell Lydia, she would burn her favorite sleep and lounge clothes.

" _ **Do you BELIEVE in life after LOVE, I can feel something inside me say, I really don't think you're strong ENOUGH~**_ " Riley could hear the shower in her uncle's bathroom running at full pressure. She was nearly in tears from laughing so hard, he was belting out Cher in a terrible and hilarious off-key voice that could shatter glass. It was a step up from last week, which included Shania Twain. She loved her uncle Bobby and all his eccentricities, he was so funny without really meaning to be sometimes.

She had gathered all her gear together for the first lacrosse practice of the season tomorrow. It was in a big pile by the bedroom door. Her big canvas backpack was full and ready to go. Lydia had already picked out what Riley would be wearing to school and the outfit was hanging on her bathroom door. All in all, she was ready to go for school to start the next day. She only had to get her dog's smaller supply bag packed and she would have everything ready for school. She was presented with a small problem, she was wide awake and would not be able to sleep if she went to bed right now.

"What do you think Frank?" Riley looked over to her bed where her pug Frank was dozing on his back. He wasn't much help, not doing more than opening one eye to look at her before rolling over to go back to sleep. He was obviously not moving for the rest of the night. He was new to the Finstock household. Frank was a trained therapy dog, replacing her previous service dog who was now retired.

Her original service dog Boomer was a big Labrador retriever with a bright yellow coat. He was getting older and they felt it was time to retire him from actual service work. Now he could enjoy just being a lazy pet. Boomer was probably in the bathroom with her uncle right now. The room was nice and warm, which helped soothe Boomers slightly arthritic joints. He was certainly enjoying his retirement. Riley didn't have such bad attacks now and got a therapy dog instead of another service one.

Frank was a therapy dog and was trained differently than a medical service dog was. He was more effective for comfort and security, rather than emergency assistance when she had her panic attacks. Frank represented a step up in her healing process, as she hadn't been completely debilitated by her attacks in about a year. He had only joined their home in November, but he already fit into their family well. He did still go to school with Riley, both for Riley's comfort should she have a lesser panic attack or to help other students. There had been requests for his help with some student sessions with the school counselor. Riley had been willing to allow it to an extent and the dog enjoyed it too. Frank seemed to think he was royalty and the humans were just lavishing him with the attention befitting his station.

According to her uncle, they would have to leave at least an hour early if she rode with him so she couldn't take anything to help her sleep and expect to wake up in enough time to get ready to Lydia's standard. Even without something like Benadryl, Riley slept like the dead and it could be so hard to leave her big comfy bed in the morning. If she stayed up, she would probably never sleep and _look_ like the dead tomorrow.

Still not ready to sleep, Riley walked back into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Maybe she could watch some TV? Depending on the show there was still a risk of not sleeping at all. She didn't want to accidently binge watch something, only to realize it was time to leave for class. Hot tea might help, something to relax her wired body. Ideally, she would go for a run, but her uncle, Stiles, _and_ Scott would get on her for going out alone so late at night. Physical activity would tire her out naturally and help her truly rest. Teeth now, decide later.

Stiles was in Roscoe half a second after his father left. Tonight was shaping to be the most interesting in Beacon Hills history. Half a body was found by some joggers and he was planning on finding the other half before the authorities. All that was missing now was someone to share in this adventure. He would run by Riley's first to see if she was interested in a trip through the preserve in the middle of the night. The Finstock house was farther down the same street he lived on. Whether he convinced her or not, he would still pick up Scott. Scott would not be present with a choice, he was going.

He quickly approached a light brown brick single story home. It wasn't as big as some of the neighboring homes, but it was plenty for the 2 people and 2 dogs that lived there. The lights were still on so someone was awake in the house. Hopefully it was Riley and not Coach, he wasn't looking forward to an encounter with the man before school starts tomorrow. Seeing the man in P.E., economics, _and_ lacrosse practice was more than sufficient. There is a tall wooden fence that wrapped around the back of the building. This blocked the view of their pool and kept the dogs in the yard when they needed out.

Riley's room was the large master suite, positioned at the back of the house. Coach had moved his room to one of the others when he took her in. Something about being a girl and needing her own space. It had a large connecting master bathroom and walk-in closet. Unfortunately for Stiles, he had an obstacle to overcome if he wants to see Riley. There was no way he could go through the front door.

It took him a good 5 minutes to scale the damn thing. It took him a further 3 minutes to catch his breath. That fence seemed taller than the last time he had to climb it. Stiles would not put it past Coach to raise it a little occasionally just to mess with Riley's late-night visitors. It wasn't like he didn't know about Stiles jumping it when he came see her and wanted to avoid the front door. The fence was still the lesser of 2 evils.

Once he could breath again, Stiles approached the big French doors that opened into Riley's room. He was thankful for the direct access to her room. The windows to her room are higher set in the walls, long skinny ones that were intended to let in natural light instead of providing any view. Stiles was not a big guy, but even someone tiny would find them difficult to get through. There was a big window set higher into the wall in the bathroom, but it was not designed to open all the way. Riley had not fully closed the curtains on the doors so Stiles could see the girl exiting her bathroom.

He knocked firmly to get her attention. A startled bark from the room let him know he probably woke Frank, but Stiles wasn't too worried. Frank would forgive him, and the dog was trained not to bark a lot. Riley looked surprised to see him standing there, but quickly unlocked the door. He was glad he caught her before she was in bed.

Once Stiles was in the room, he got a good look at Riley. She had on one of his old Batman shirts, which he didn't even realize was missing. He couldn't even be mad, it looked better draped on her tiny form than it ever did on him. Those shorts did wonders for his overly hormonal teenage brain. Stiles thought he probably looked like an idiot just staring at her with his mouth slightly open. It took his brain a hot second to reboot. Why was he here again?

"Stiles, are you ok? You have been looking at my wall for like a whole 2 minutes now…" Riley's voice seemed to speed the process up a bit and Stiles was able to get his brain back on track. Right as he was about to tell her what was found in their little town, he heard something.

"Is coach singing Cher?" was the first thing to come out of his mouth. Not what he came here for, but he felt it really needed to be addressed.

"Yes." That was all he would get from Riley, so it was time to tell her the news.

"You will never guess what happen Ry! My dad got a call-" she cut him off there.

"Stiles why are you listening in on his calls, I thought we talked about invasion of privacy." Riley looked at him with an eyebrow raised and a hand resting on one hip. He better sell his idea.

"Dad got a call about two joggers finding _half_ a body on the preserve. They are going to look for the other half like right now!" He blurts out in a single breath, "I wanted to see if you and Scott wanted to go with me and try to find it first..."

Riley looked at him blankly for a second as the words sunk in. Her hand came up to her face and she sighed at her friend. Her friend was riding the crazy train. It was a cold and wet January night. It was already pitch black out from the clouds mostly blocking the moon. It had rained on and off that entire day and looked like it would do so all night. They had school tomorrow and she would have to be up and ready by 5:30 to ride with her uncle. She was totally in.

"You have to drive me to class tomorrow if I go. I also expect and overpriced warm beverage. There is an early staff meeting uncle B has to attend and I will not get up early after traipsing through the woods all night to ride with him." She gave Stiles a manic grin which he returned.

"You drive a hard bargain Miss Finstock, but you have a deal." He held a hand and they shook on it.

"Let me put some jeans and a warmer shirt on first then we can go grab Scott." Riley shuffled to her closet.

Once she was changed, she grabbed a zip-up cotton jacket and a pair of old sneakers. Riley followed Stiles around the house to the padlocked fence gate. Unlike Stiles, she knew the code for the padlock. She promised her uncle she wouldn't tell her friends, he seemed to enjoy their suffering far too much and she might have been a touch amused as well.

A window on the front of the house opened and Bobby Finstock stuck his head out, hair wet and pointing in every direction. Stiles thought is was actually the neatest he had seen Coach's hair, which was impressive.

"Where do think you delinquents are going at this time of night?"

"Stiles is taking me and Scott to the woods to find a body." Riley just said it like it was the most normal thing to discuss with one's guardian, but Stiles saw his life flash before his eyes. Coach Finstock looked at his niece without expression.

"Yah…well ok then, have fun try not to die."

"Promise not too!" The love between the Finstock family simply overwhelmed Stiles.

Stiles pulled the jeep up to Scott's place and hopped out. He had tried calling on the way, but Scott wouldn't pick up. Riley decided to wait in Roscoe while Stiles convinced Scott to join them on their less than advisable outing to the woods in the middle of the night to find a dead person. Not a great plan, but it was happening, and they would have to live with the consequences. That will probably include being caught by the sheriff and a criminal record before graduating high school. Fun stuff.

Riley looked out the jeep windows when she heard noise. She was greeted with the hilarious sight of Stiles hanging over the McCall house porch and Scott about to hit him with a bat. Looks like Stiles was off to a great start, well on his way to convincing Scott to partake in the fun. If only she brought her camera to capture the magic of this moment.

"Stiles, what the hell are you doing?" Scott demanded.

"You weren't answering your phone. Why do you have a bat!?" Riley rolled her eyes at the question.

"I thought you were a predator!" Scott defended his completely appropriate bat ownership.

"A pre- Look, I know it's late, but you gotta hear this. I saw my dad leave 20 minutes ago. Dispatch called. They're bringing in every officer from the Beacon Department, and even state police." Stiles was able to get back on his feet.

"For what?" Scott was not understanding the scope of what Stiles was telling him

"Two joggers found a body in the woods" Stiles explained.

"A dead body?" Clarification was needed.

"No, a body of water." A typical patented Stilinski response right there, "Yes, dumb-ass, a dead body. I already picked Riley up, we're going and so are you. Come on."

It was raining on and off, the thick clouds really blanketed the sky. The humid air was chilly and fresh so far out from town. All three resigned themselves to what was happening and began hiking into the dense trees of the preserve. They had a body to find. Stiles was in the lead and Scott brought up the rear. As per usual, the two boys kept Riley in the middle like her own pale and skinny bodyguards.

Riley kept her eyes moving across the vegetation while the boys talked, "We're seriously doing this?" Scott was still trying to salvage the night, but Riley was pretty sure it was a bit late for that.

"You're the one always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town. You don't hear Riley complaining, do you?" Stiles was quick to reply.

"I was trying to get a good night's sleep before practice tomorrow." Scott defended, "Riley is already starting, I need all the help I can get!"

"Right, 'cause sitting on the bench is such a grueling effort." Stiles was good enough to play, but he always seemed to freeze up at practice. Riley knew both could be great players, they just needed to move past the bench warmer mentality. Scott seemed to be improving despite his health problems.

"No, because I'm playing this year. In fact, I'm making first line with Riley." Riley would love to be able to play lacrosse with both boys, it would offset the hot air that followed Jackson Whitmore a little.

"Hey, that's the spirit. Everyone should have a dream, even a pathetically unrealistic one." More sass from Stilinski.

"Hey, Scott can totally do it, you could too if you tried! I know you both are good enough to actually play this year! You just gotta get past my uncle…"

Stiles cut her off there, "Yah and he is such an encouraging and helpful man. Really understanding when it comes to lacrosse."

"Enough of your sass, he has kept both of you on the team still, despite neither of you playing a single game last season. All you have to do is beat out Greenburg, which you do simply because you aren't Greenburg." Stiles had to give her that one.

Scott brought the conversation back around to the problem at hand, "Just out of curiosity, which half of the body are we looking for?"

"Huh! I didn't even think of that." Stiles Stilinski, the brains of the group.

"Yah, and I kinda' promised uncle not to die…so what if whoever killed and cut up the body is still out here?" there was not a lot of weight in the question, despite the reality of their situation. She tried to maintain a certain Zen, panic only left her felling like shit and sometimes unconscious. Neither of those things served her well, so she tried not to dwell on the bad in life these days.

"Also, something I didn't think about" because of coarse he didn't.

"It's comforting to know you've planned this out." Scott was reaching for his inhaler at this point, "Maybe the severe asthmatic should be the one holding the flashlight, huh?"

Both Riley and Scott were trying to get their friend to slow down, but Stiles had spotted the actual search party and rushed ahead, he was ignoring his friends in his excitement. Riley didn't think it was a good idea to get so close to the police who had dogs. They were _so_ going to get caught. Sure enough, Stiles had a close encounter of the canine kind when the dogs caught his scent.

"Hold it right there! Hang on, hang on. This little delinquent belongs to me." The sheriff had a good grip on Stiles as Scott pulled Riley out of sight behind some trees. Riley's heart was in her throat and she was chanting in her head to stave off a possible attack. She was doing better, but tonight was above average on the stress meter.

"Dad, how are you doing?" Hearing Stiles voice helped ground Riley. They were not in danger, he was ok, and she was ok. A few deeper breaths and she was feeling much better.

"So, do you listen in to all of my phone calls" the sheriff questioned his son.

"No. Not the boring ones." Stiles was honest with his father. Riley had to hold back a laugh. She and Scott hadn't been caught yet and it would not be good to give up their position.

The Sheriff was slightly less amused than Riley had been at the frank reply, "Now, where are your usual partners in crime?"

"Who, Riley and Scott? They are both home. Scott said he wanted to get a good night's sleep for the first day back at school tomorrow. And do you really think coach would let Riley out with a-a delinquent like me at this time of night? It's just me. In the woods. _Alone._ " Smooth Stiles, like butter. Seems like the Sheriff thought so too and began calling for the two remaining delinquents. Thunder in the distance seemed to help mask any small noise from movement the two made and the Sheriff seemed satisfied.

"Well, young man I'm gonna walk you back to your car. And you and I are gonna have a conversation about a thing called invasion of privacy. I may have Riley break out the PowerPoint again." The Stilinski men were gone, and they had not been caught. It was now a matter of getting home safe. It would be a long walk and an even longer night. Stiles better bring her good coffee for agreeing to do go out like this.

As they were trying to escape the preserve, they were both a little on edge and all the natural sounds of nature did not help. Scott paused to use his inhaler when a whole freaking herd of deer burst from the woods and ran right for the teens. Both hit the ground in shock and Scott lost his inhaler. The two shared a look after they could safely stand.

"Ry, I dropped my inhaler, did you see where it went?" both got their phones out, Stiles had the flashlight and that went with them along with their ride. As Riley assessed the ground, she realized her hair had fallen out of the loose bun. Who knows where the scrunchie ended up at this point…Riley was close behind Scott, when he yelled and turned quickly toward her. This sent both tumbling roughly down a hill ala Jack and Jill.

As Scott got to his feet, Riley was still on her knees catching her breath and straighten her unzipped jacket which now hung loosely from her elbows. They both froze as the sounds of growling met their ears. Scott saw the danger somewhere behind Riley, but she couldn't see anything over her shoulder. Scott grabbed for her arm to get her to her feet when hot pain met her back as she was pushed back to the forest floor. Something huge was standing on her back and had clawed through the thin shirt where her unzipped jacket had slipped to uncover in the fall.

Her face was forced into the mud as whatever animal was on her lunged for what she assumed was Scott. The claws dug deeper and she was sure they met bone at this point. She couldn't focus beyond the pain, which eased some when the thing finally got off her. Next thing she knew, Scott dragged her to her feet, and they were running. The mud and rain blinded Riley, she hit Scott's back as he stopped suddenly. A glimpse of headlights swerving told her how close they had been to being hit or causing an accident. She was ready to end this night and go to bed. There was some sort of howling in the distance.

It took a bit of energy but both teens made their way to Scott's place of work. Entering the vet office with a hidden key, Scott grabbed some much-needed medical tools, bandages and antiseptic. They cleaned off some, it wouldn't do to get mud in wounds from a wild animal. Scott insisted he take care of Riley first, it turns out it wasn't nearly as bad as the pain suggested. The claw marks were defiantly deep, but they would be ok with butterfly closures instead of stiches. He cleaned her left shoulder carefully. Once he was done, Riley took care of his bite. It didn't look as bad as hers according to Scott, but she was sure it was painful. He also had a higher risk of possible infection.

Once the two finished with their wounds, they made their way back into town. Scott walking Riley home first and texting her when he made it home safely alone. Riley sent Stiles a searing text once she cleaned the mud off and got into bed. Frank had not moved, but her uncle had let Boomer into her room while she was gone so her queen-sized bed was rather full and neither dog was happy to be awoken. Stiles started freaking out and she felt much less angry at him. Really, she could never stay angry, especially when he was so concerned for her. He didn't seem as concerned for Scott though maybe that was just because he was so focused on Riley.

Early the next morning, Riley was woken up by her uncle's calls. "If you're gonna run around all night before school, don't expect any sympathy from me. I expect you to be in peak for at practice today, or you can run some laps to wake up." Such love. Nothing too unexpected but he seemed extra gleeful to bang pots around as they fixed breakfast together. Riley was less amused.

She had to wash her hair without taking a bath, with the detectable sprayer in her tub. She really didn't want to get the bandage wet, but she still had leaves and mud. It took her a little more time to get ready with her shoulder hurt. It wasn't super painful, just super stiff. Her makeup was simple, just enough to satisfy the queen bee, Lydia. Lydia had picked out her dusty pink peacoat, a gift from a year ago, a pair of black pants that had a high waist and hugger her legs wonderfully. The top Lydia chose was a cozy grey V-neck sweater with two bold stripes across the chest and arms. The grey matched her suede grey ankle boots, which had a simple buckle at the top and chunky heels. They lifted her a whole 3 inches, which is very needed when you are only 5 feet tall. She threw her semi dry hair into a messy half crown braid/half ponytail. Hopefully it would come off as more purposefully messy and less I traipsed through the forest all night messy. Riley could hope.

By the time she was dressed and got Frank ready with his therapy dog jacket, Stiles sent her a text that he was waiting out front. She made sure Boomer had fresh water and the proper amount of food, she stumbled out the door. Stiles jumped out of the jeep to grab her gym bag with her lacrosse gear and placed it in the back. Riley passed him her bag next while she picked up Frank. The height challenged dog would need a boost to make it, so it was safer to place him in the seat. Quick enough, all three passengers were buckled in and they were on their way. Before he pulled out of her drive, Stiles passed Riley a venti Starbucks cup and she could smell the chai latte. Coffee increased her risk of panic attacks, but this would wake her without as much risk.

They got to school a little early and waited in the jeep for ore people to arrive. Riley made quick work of her slightly overpriced commercial beverage after it cooled enough to not scald her mouth off. The two discussed the event of the night before while they waited for Scott to show.

"Yah, Scott freaked out and sent us both down this hill. We had to look for his inhaler after her dropped it. It was crazy, this huge herd of deer nearly trampled us." Riley barely paused for breath as she recalled everything, she didn't fully explain the night before, "I don't really know what the hell attacked us. It felt huge when it was on my back. I never actually saw it but I think Scott may have. It sounded like a dog to me, but I'm not positive. It was too big to be a coyote though…"

As busses arrived, Stiles grabbed Frank while Riley got her bags. He passed her the leash once she had her arms free. Frank waited calmly at her feet as ha had been trained to. They both walked to the entrance and Scott joined them a little later.

"Okay, lets see this thing. Ry refused to show me hers earlier." Riley smacked Stiles lightly.

"It's on my back shoulder and I was not going to take my shirt off in your jeep while we were in the school parking lot dude." Scott began lifting his shirt to show off the big bandage to their friend.

"You mean if we weren't at school you would take your shirt off in my- woah!" Stiles looked at the slightly bloody bandage.

"Yeah, hers was bigger than mine, but it actually bit me. It was too dark to see much, but I'm pretty sure it was a wolf." Scott moved out of Stiles reach when he went to touch the bandage wound. It was still sore, and Stiles was not always particularly gentle.

"A wolf attacked you guys?" Stiles was incredulous but Scott insisted it had been a wolf, "No, not a chance."

"I heard a wolf howling, come one Riley, you heard it too right?" Riley looked thoughtful. She had heard something howl, but she wasn't positive it was a wolf and not just a big wild dog.

"No, you didn't." Stiles was quick to shoot Scott's thoughts down. Riley wanted to know why he was so sure.

"What do you mean, ' _no, i didn't'_? How do you know what I heard?" Stiles just laughed.

"Because California doesn't have wolves, okay?" he explained, "Not in like 60 years."

"That is an oddly specific number. Really?" Riley asked the buzz cut boy. He just nodded at her.

"Really guys, there are no wolves in California. Whatever got you was not a wolf." If he was sure, he must have dome research to back it up. Probably from one of his research sprees when he got nosy about his father's cases.

"Well of you don't believe me about the wolf, then you're definitely not gonna believe me about what I saw. I found the body."

"WHAT!? When and why didn't you tell me!? Dude that is so not cool!" Riley was a little freaked out.

"I didn't want to stress you out any more last night. You have been doing so well these past couple of years, I didn't want to trigger a panic attack after everything else last night." Scott was appropriately freaked, but Stiles was stoked about the news.

"Oh god, that is freakin' awesome. Not the stress thing the-" Stiles got cut off when Lydia Martin called out to Riley. She waved to the guys and made her way over to her only female friend. As soon as her back turned, Stiles face was marred by a scowl. He didn't see what Riley saw in that high strung…bimbo. Sure, she was smart but she chose to hide it. And she was always trying to steal Riley from him! The nerve…

Scott had a grin as he watched his best friend stew in jealousy. He couldn't stand anyone or anything that diverted their female friend's attention from him. He would have probably hated Boomer and Frank if they weren't there to help Riley in ways he really couldn't.

"You need to tell her and soon Stiles. I'm pretty sure you guys were made for each other. If you wait to long someone might steal her away." Stiles scoffed at him so he continued, "Lydia could turn out to be bi or something and sweep her off her feet."

Stiles did not appreciate the insinuation Scott made, but he had thought similar things before. Anyone who diverted Riley's attention could be competition should Riley stop being so oblivious. Lydia had set her up on dates, but none had gone very well, which may or may not have been due to _intervention_.

Riley walked to her locker with Lydia. She barely passed muster according to Lydia. Lydia didn't ask about her hair, which Riley was positive she noticed. Lydia was crazy smart but that was too intimidating for Jackass Whitmore, so she dumbed herself down for her boyfriend. At this point, Riley assumed her friend thought she had similar problems with her hair as her crazy uncle. She had English with the boys first, but her locker was closer to Lydia's than the boys.

"I will never understand why you devote so much time to those losers Ry." Lydia criticized as both girls spun the dials on their lockers.

"Lyd, you know I hate when you call them that. Is it so hard to understand I like hanging out with them?" This was the same song and dance, at east once a month they had this conversation. Lydia didn't really care that much, as long as they didn't upset Riley.

"You have to at least come to the party. I will even allow your two tagalongs to come if you agree." Lydia had been insistent. Riley was not so sure she wanted to go. That crowd would be stressful and claustrophobic for Riley. She tried to avoid possible triggers. She was doing great with her meds and keeping calm, but she didn't want to relapse and last night had already been a close enough call for this week.

Riley stuffed her lacrosse gear in first and put her backpack on top to be able to get to her school stuff throughout the day. She kept smelling something since she got to school. Riley was not sure what it was, but it smelled strong and seemed to follow her around somewhat. Whatever it was, it really smelt _good._ Frank knew her regular schedule and led the way to her English class while Riley was distracted. She shared it with the boys, who were already in their seats. That smell seemed stronger as she approached her seat in front of Stiles. What was that delicious smell?

Their teacher passed out the new syllabus and brought up the body. Riley didn't care, she was focusing on that smell. It seemed to have gotten stronger since she shat down and there was a new smell mixed in. Something that sent tingles through her entire body. When she tuned back in, there was apparently a new girl in their school. A-something, Riley hadn't caught her name. The girl sat next to Stiles and behind Scott. As the girl was getting situated, Scott turned and handed her a pen. Guess she must have asked for one while Riley had zoned out. She grabbed her copy of Metamorphosis as class started, trying to put that scent out of her mind.

Before lunch, Riley found herself waiting in the advisor's office, where the school counselor's office was. She still had regular appointments to go over her issues. She had come a long way and felt very strong for it. She didn't have to spend very long in there, just checked in and dropped Frank off for the few students who needed the extra support of a trained therapy dog. Riley knew Erica Reyes was one of the students Ms. Morrell would implement with Frank this semester. She had approached Riley for permission directly. Riley had suggested a getting a trained service dog to help with her epilepsy, but Erica's parents decided against it. Frank would be a huge comfort to her while she worked through her own problems. Riley would pick Frank up after chemistry later.

The day had gone by fast. Riley was walking with Lydia to their lockers when they caught sight of the new student to grace the halls of Beacon hills high school. Riley still hadn't caught her name. Her brain had been laser focused on the scent, which she still hadn't figured out. Her nose had been going crazy not just with that one particular blend, but all kinds of smells. Some were so strong she had to hold her breath from the headaches they caused or how bad they could be.

So far, she had dissected mint something and curly fries from the scent. There was a deeper musky scent, not like cologne, something more natural that drove her wild. These scents mixed with some less tangible scents. These seem to bring out more _physical_ responses from Riley's body. She had no clue what was going on with her today.

"That jacket is absolutely killer. Where'd you get it?" Lydia went right in for the kill. New girl didn't seem to phased by the strawberry blonde.

"My mom was a buyer for a boutique back in San Francisco." She gave both girls a wide smile and Riley grinned as she went for her locker.

"And you are my new best friend." Riley fake glared at Lydia.

"Gee thanks Lyd, where does that leave me?" she questioned her in an over the top dramatic voice with her hand on her chest like she was physically pained.

"Ry, you know I only keep you around for Frank." Lydia fired back with a grin, "This is Riley Finstock and her adorable therapy dog Frank."

"I am so sorry, I know we have like a ton of classes together, but I have not been able to focus at all today. What was your name?" Riley didn't want to be rude and just call her 'new girl' all the time, especially if Lydia actually liked the poor girl.

"Oh, it is no problem, I am Allison Argent. Your dog is so adorable, can I pet him?" Riley gave Allison another smile. Jackson approached the three girls and dog from down the hall. Riley became distracted as she picked Frank up, it was that scent again. It caused her to tune out the conversations going on around her once more that day. It was so familiar, but she could not name it. From the corner of her eye she spotted Stiles talking with one of their class mates and suddenly felt a spike of jealousy. Suddenly she could hear with astonishing clarity, as if they were talking right into her ear. The words calmed her a bit.

"Can someone tell me how new girl is here all of five minutes, and she's already hanging out with Lydia's clique?" Stiles turned to look Riley's way and gave her a deep stare. She didn't think he realized she was able to see him.

"Because she's hot. Beautiful people herd together." That scent, the one that made her body buzz was back. It made the overlying scent even more mouth watering. Stiles' words added a warmth to the tingles that made Riley fell like she was glowing.

"So, this weekend, there's a party." Lydia brought that stupid party up again, but the pleasant buzz Riley was feeling kept her from being to frustrated.

"As much as I would love to talk about the party, I promised my uncle I would help him out before we start today. See you guys!" Riley and Frank made a fast exit. As girl and dog made their escape, Riley _felt_ someone run up behind her. She turned and met Stiles' caramel eyes. She gave him a grin and slowed so he could walk beside her.

"When did promise to help coach?" he apparently heard her conversation while he was speaking so animatedly with that chick.

"I didn't, but Lydia started in on that party again. I'm not sure I want to go, but she said I could bring you guys if I did…you now if you want to go to your first high school party, I could stand to go for a little while…" Riley didn't know where that came from, but she would have to live with it now.

Stiles sputtered as his brain caught up to his ears. Did she just ask him out? Sort of? She hates crowds, but would go if _he_ wanted to? Hell yah, he wanted to! He tried to think before he spoke, something he often failed to do. It would not do to screw this up now, Stilinski.

"Pff, I mean yah. It sounds like it will be mildly entertaining at least. We can always leave if it gets to be too much for you…you know grab a burger and some fries of the curly variety of course…" he rubbed the back of his head as the two approached the physical education wing of the building.

"Like any other fry would do. Curly fries for life Stiles. I'm insulted you even brought it up like there was a choice" Riley joked back at Stiles and both laughed. They had reached the locker rooms and would need to split there. She waved at him and slipped through the door out of sight. When he was sure she was gone he pumped his arm in victory.

Stiles and Scott were by the bench. Frank was laying in his bed a little under it. He was tied to the bench, but his working jacket was off, so he was off the clock and enjoying just being a dog. Coach had ordered a little Beacon Hills Lacrosse jersey for the pup. Stiles laughed at the sight and bent down to pet Frank. The little pug turned onto his back so his belly would be scratched too, not a care in the world.

Riley kept catching his eye. Her black Under Armour shirt was skin tight and contrasted the white practice jersey in wonderful ways. Her maroon shorts were well above the knee in a way that Stiles suspected would be in violation of the dress code if it wasn't for lacrosse. Her long chocolate locks had been pulled up into a chunky crown braid to keep out of the way. Stiles was more than a little distracted and only pawing from Frank to resume his belly scratching brought him back.

"Scott, if you play, I'll have no one to talk to on the bench. Are you gonna do that to your best friend?" Stile whined at his friend still petting Frank. Scott had the nerve to scoff at him.

"You'll have Frank to keep you company. Not like you talk a lot anyway, too busy staring at Riley's ass while she _actually_ plays without us. I have even seen drool Stiles." Scott leveled Stiles with a glare, "I can't sit out again, my whole life is sitting on the sidelines. This season, I make first line."

Coach called for Scott, "You're on goal."

Scott shot him a confused look, "I've never played."

Coach grinned, "I know. Scoring some shots will give the boys a confidence boost. It's a first day back thing. Get 'em energized, fired up!" Riley was behind her uncle face palming.

"What about me?" Scott looked scared. The grin on coach's face was less than comforting.

"Try not to take any to the face. Riley your up first. Let's go!" the regular players all lined up with Riley in the lead. Scott fumbled in the goal.

"Sorry in advanced Scott…" Her voice was soft, but she had a deadly and manic look in her eyes. Friend on not, she was a monster when it came to lacrosse and would not hold back when it came to playing the game. Something she got from her uncle right there. Stiles was 100% sure it would be headed right for Scotts face.

He was right and it looked painful. Scott hit the ground and the crowd was a mix of wincing and laughs. Those on the team laughed more sympathetically than it probably came off. Every one of them had taken painful shots from the tiny terror. She might be mainly play as a Midfielder, she was a mean Attacker as well.

To everyone's surprise, particularly Stiles and Scott, that was the only shot that contacted anything but the goalie stick. Jackson seemed to get frustrated and pushed several team members in the line out of his way as he made his way to the front. Stiles held back a growl when Riley was among the more roughly pushed members. He geared up for a power shot and Stiles held his breath. This wasn't just a shot for the goal, like Riley had gone for, it was intended to hurt Scott. The whole field held a collective breath as Scott caught the ball. Suddenly everyone was screaming and cheering, and Stiles was jumping around in excitement. Even Frank was on his feet with his little tail wagging. Stiles could hardly believe how amazing Scott performed today.


	3. Chapter 3: Wolf Moon Part 2

Chapter 2: Wolf Moon P2

Riley and Stiles followed Scott as he tried to find where they ended up the night before. She had stayed in her gym short and tight t-shirt from practice, there was no way she was entering those woods again without being ready to run. She grabbed a zip up hoodie and a threw an old pair of red Converse she kept in her gym locker.

Frank was having the time of his doggy life with all the new smells. He was acting how Riley felt like acting the whole day. There was an impressive amount of mud coating the tiny dog. He was still wearing his doggy lacrosse jersey. It was his Christmas gift from her uncle, but it was clearly more for her uncle than for Frank. She had never pegged Bobby Finstock as a guy who enjoyed dressing up tiny dogs, clearly, they needed to have a conversation.

"I don't know what it was. It was like I had all the time in the world to catch the ball. And that's not the only weird thing. I-I can hear stuff I shouldn't be able to hear. Smell things…" Scott seems to have been having a similar day to Riley.

"Smell things? Like what" Riley's ears perked when she heard Scott say that.

"Like the mint mojito gum in your pocket." Scott pointed to Stiles' jacket.

"I don't even have any mint mojito-" Stile cut himself off when he pulled out an old but unchewed stick of gum fro the pocket Scott indicated, "So all this started with a bite."

Riley felt like she was struck by lighting when Scott named that scent and Stiles pulled the gum out. That was…Had she been smelling Stile the ENTIRE day? Holy crap she had…at least she thinks so… but how could she confirm without being a total creeper and smelling the boy? And why had it caused such… _physical_ reactions in her? Both guys continued to converse as they continued deeper into the woods, oblivious to her embarrassing internal debate.

"What if it's like an infection, like, my body's flooding with adrenaline before I go into shock or something?" Scott turned back toward Riley, "Have you been experiencing anything like this Ry? You got hurt too…"

Riley gave both boys a kind of shocked look before nodding, "All of the above Scott. Should we see a doctor?"

Stiles draped his arm around the worried girl and smiled, 'You know what? I actually think I've heard of this – it's a specific kind of infection" He gave Riley a wink when Scott wasn't looking.

"Are you serious?" Scott had big hopeful eyes, some Frank would be jealous of, but Riley couldn't bring herself to let him know Stiles is joking.

"Yeah." Stiles realized Riley was about to let him have a little fun and not let Scott know he was joking, "Yeah, I think it's called – lycanthropy."

It was all Riley could do not to burst out laughing. She focused on Frank as Stiles moved in on poor Scott, "oh, yeah, it's the worst. But only once a month."

Scott looked nervous, "Once a month?" Riley focused on the horizon and not looking Scott in the eye.

Stiles nodded, "Mm-hmm. On the night of the full moon." He punctuated the joke with a howl. Scott was not amused, "Hey, you're the one who heard a wolf howling."

Scott scowled, "Hey, there could be something seriously wrong with Riley and I. Is this really the time for jokes? Maybe we do need to see a doctor…"

"I know! You're werewolves! Rrr!" His attempt at a growl was adorable, "Ok, obviously I'm kidding, but if you see me in shop class trying to melt all the silver I can find, it's cause Friday's a full moon."

The three continued looking through the area for Scotts missing inhaler. Frank seemed to be trying to help it the mug coating his face was an indication. The area looked familiar to Riley, so they were close if not exactly where they had been the night before. Frank was sniffing around and seemed to be drawn to a single area. Scott must have thought so too, as he got more frustrated.

"No, I-I could have sworn this was it." He continued to look around, "I saw the body…the deer came running at us, I dropped my inhaler."

"Maybe the killer moved the body." Stile raised an excellent point.

"Have you heard anything from your dad? Maybe the search party found her…" Riley wasn't so sure but felt it was a safer option than the alternative.

"I hope whoever was responsible left my inhaler. Those thing cost like 80 bucks." Scott was not in a financially secure enough position to just buy the things every week. The one before was run over so this one was practically brand new.

Riley's eye caught a dark figure not far from their position and tensed up. It smelled… _dangerous_? He certainly didn't look friendly with that scowl and all that leather. How much black did the man have in his closet exactly?

"What are you doing here? Huh? This is private property." His tone didn't make him seem any friendlier and since when was there private property on Beacon Hills Preserve?

Frank didn't seem to like him either as he positioned himself in front of Riley and growled lowly. The little dog was trembling, Riley had never seen him like that. She slowly bent down and gently picked him up. The muddy dog whimpered and buried himself deeper into Riley's chest. She didn't blame him, it felt like every hair on her body stood on end. Stiles positioned himself between the guy and Riley.

"Uh sorry man, we didn't know" Stiles backed up so his back touched Riley's arms. His left arm bent back to rest on her hip. Scott closed in on his friends as well, safety in numbers and all that. This guy could be the killer for all they knew right now.

"Yeah, we were just looking for something. But – uh, forget it…" Scott started to turn to leave when the guy threw something at him. Scott's hand shot out and caught the small object. It was his inhaler. Riley bit her lip as her body tensed further, it was all she could do not to grab Stiles' hand and run.

Scott took the lead, he had places to be and anywhere was better than here, "Come on, I gotta get to work."

"Dude, that was Derek Hale. You remember, right?" He looked from Scott to Riley as he talked, "He's only like a few years older than us."

Neither Scott or Riley was sure what he was getting at, "Remember what?"

"His family…they all burned to death in a fire, like, ten years ago…" Stiles let that settle in their brains.

"I wonder what he's doing back." They were all thinking it probably wasn't a coincidence that the showed up right after someone was probably murdered, in the same area where the missing half of the body was last seen.

Stiles put his arm around Riley and Frank, who was still hiding in her arms, "Come on." The three teens and dog made it back to the jeep with no further incidents and rushed to get Scott to Dr. Deaton's vet clinic for his shift. Their little excursion into nature took them a bit longer than they had anticipated. It took both boys a good 5 minutes to get Scott's bike out of the back of Roscoe. Riley and Frank had fallen asleep in the back seat. Stiles had covered the sleeping pair with a blanket he kept in the jeep.

Stiles made a quick stop at the diner to pick up some food. He grabbed something for his dad to drop off. Sheriff Stilinski would be at work until late that night. Unhealthy food was still better than no food and the spicy chicken sandwich wouldn't be too hard on the man's heart. After that quick stop, he drove to the Finstock home.

Stiles had a hell of a time waking his sleeping passengers, that encounter with the Derek Hale had really tired everyone out. Once they got inside Riley's home they were greeted with an exuberant Boomer. Coach wasn't there, he was probably still at the school. For as eccentric as the man was, he performed 3 different teaching roles at their school and that was a lot of work. He took on more work once he gained custody of Riley, which is something Stiles could really respect. The extra work prevented a lot of extended interaction between Stiles or Scott and Coach Finstock. Despite school just resuming that day, he was sure the staff had a lot of work to get done. He might not be grading, but he would have to organize lessons and create tests. This is on top of other meetings and non-class related work the staff had to get done. Teachers did not have an easy job. Stiles knew Riley helped him when she could since the man was far from organized.

The teens fed the dogs and ate the food from the diner. Stiles had gotten them some really good bacon cheese burgers and 3 orders of curly fries to split. They weren't on a diet so they could eat all the fries and bacon they desired. Some Bruce Willis movies helped them decompress while they ate and both teens were finally feeling content with life. Riley insisted they get their homework done, there was a sizable chemistry assignment much to Stiles' annoyance.

"I don't know why Harris hates you so much." Riley commented. Stiles could be crazy smart, but he was not doing well in chemistry this year. She suspected it had more to do with their instructor's attitude. Her uncle might be crazy, but he did know how to teach. Harris was someone who should never been allowed to teach. He had no patients and when people didn't understand something immediately, that automatically made them completely stupid and not worth his time. That wasn't what teaching was about. That kind of instructor was terrible for people like Stiles, who had attention difficulties.

"At least he tolerates you, not that he would get far if he acted otherwise after last time…" Riley did very well in chemistry. Her attention to detail and need to be very exact when measuring and mixing allowed her to do very well in the class. She had patience for the subject Stiles did not possess.

Stiles remembered there were problems at the start of the school year, Boomer had not retired at that point and she had the service dog with her. Harris was a complete ass about having a dog in the class, despite being a very well trained and behaved _service_ dog. He tried to have Boomer removed, saying terrible things about Riley's panic attacks being unimportant. They had already been in the process of getting Frank and Riley had started on a new anxiety medication treatment, but her doctor still wanted Boomer with her until they were sure it was working. Coach had ripped the man a new one when they had a meeting with Harris and the school principal, Stiles wished he had been there to record it. When Frank finally came to them, Harris didn't dare say a word about the smaller dog being there despite being trained for therapy instead of service like Boomer.

The teens spent the evening slogging through a thick packet of chemical balancing equations. After that, they had a guided reading worksheet for Kafka's Metamorphosis. Where Riley assisted Stiles in chemistry, he aided her with English and literary interpretation. There were more smaller assignments, but those didn't take them nearly as much time to complete. The assignments didn't take as long as they could have if they were not helping each other. Scott ended up calling for help on his homework and they did their best to help him too.

"I think someone needs a bath." Stiles was in a pile on the floor with both Boomer and Frank. The pug was covered in dry mud, not just from their trip to the forest but also from an excursion to play in the yard while they were doing their classwork.

"Hey, I don't smell _that_ bad!" Riley joked and picked up her little mud monster.

"Well I wasn't going to say something, but…" She fake glared at his response. Stiles got to his feet and Boomer stood too. The Labrador's tail beat firmly against the back of the boy's leg. Boomer wasn't done getting cuddles from his person's boy.

Both teens walked into the bathroom, Riley starts the water in the big bathtub while Stiles grabs a few towels from the hidden linen closet behind the bathroom door. She had a big walk in shower and a separate tub for baths. When he spots the water running, Frank knew it was time for a bath and began wiggling in Riley's arms. He loves getting baths as much as he loves getting dirty. Riley thinks he sometimes gets dirty just to get a bath. She knows he will love getting in the pool once things warmed up a little outside. They might be in sunny California, but it could get seriously cold as far north as they were. She already had a doggy lifejacket for Frank, since he was so small.

Both teens were having fun wrangling the excited pup in the tub. There was a lot of laughter and both got more water on each other than on Frank. Boomer was very admirable in his own efforts to help, making sure Stiles' head was sufficiently licked.

"Riley your dog is trying to eat me!" He could hardly breath from laughing so hard.

"Apparently _I'm_ not the one who really needed a bath!" she wasn't much help. Frank continued to run in circles, in and out of the shower sprayer like a kid playing with sprinklers. There is a surprisingly thick layer of mud on the bottom of the tub, he really was coated for being so small and having such a short coat. Stiles laughed more and grabs the dog shampoo. They had gotten enough mud off Frank, so the shampoo could actually work. He squeezed some into his free hand and rubbed it over the exuberant pup while Riley kept him in place. For such a tiny dog, it really took both to get him all cleaned up.

Once Frank was cleaned off, they both took a good look at each other. Stiles offers to dry Frank off while Riley gets cleaned up. He had a change of clothes in his jeep, so he wasn't stuck with uncomfortable wet jeans.

"Stiles, can you help me with my shoulder? I need to wash it off and Scott had to put a bunch of butterfly wound closures on it." She already had her shirt off as she poked her head out of the bathroom, the shirt bunched in her arms to cover her chest. She had won a strapless sticky bra most the day, with the exception of practice, since the straps on her normal ones really rubbed the big claw wound painfully. The sports bra she needed to keep the girls from being all over the place had been agonizing. It was absolutely needed since she had an above average bust size, despite being relatively small overall. The sticky one would not stand up to the aggressive movements of lacrosse as well as the sweating it would cause.

Stiles had to readjust himself at the sight. Her face was very innocent, big eyes looking right through him. While she was appropriately covered, the skin exposed sent an excited trill down his spine. She really had no idea what she did to him.

"Turn around and let me take a look at it. If you are ok with it, I wanna get a picture of the wound. We might be able to find out what caused it if I can catch the marks up with something else." Riley did as asked.

"That is actually a great idea, take what you need to figure what it is. I wondered if we should tell your dad, in case it tries to hurt some joggers or something." Stiles gently peeled the big bandage covering the wound. There was clearly more bleeding as the once white gauze was now mostly reddish brown. Scott had really layered it on, but there was still enough blood to seep through. The gauze actually came off the wound easily, not stuck on because of the slight bleeding and antibacterial ointment Scott slathered on to keep it clean. There were three long and somewhat deep marks cutting through the pale and bruised skin of her left shoulder. There was another mark from what must have been a 4th claw. Scott had mostly closed the wounds with a lot of butterfly closures. He had given Riley a box full to take home last night, as well as more gauze bandages, wound flushing fluid, rubbing alcohol and ointment. Stiles left the butterflies on the wound, he would replace them after she was out of the shower. He didn't want her tearing it further without them keeping the marks together as she moved and washed.

Stiles took his time gently cleaning the old blood and ointment off with a clean washcloth. He went ahead and used the flushing fluid to clean the wounds to keep bad bacteria out. Once it was cleaned off, Stiles took several pictures to research later. Scott had warned him about how bad her wound was earlier that day, but this was both better and worse than he was expecting. He hated her being injured in any way, but he was feeling especially guilty about this one. Last night had been his idea, he had dragged his friends out to the woods to find a dead body and they had gotten hurt. Riley had gotten hurt. He promised himself and her to always protect her a long time ago, but he had left her out there when his father caught him last night. Whatever came from this, if she got sick or the wound got infected, he would have to do everything he could to take care of her. He was taking responsibility for this and he could not let it happen again.

Stiles told Riley to take her time cleaning off, she decided to take a shower since the tub was still dirty. Stiles thought the warm water would help her stiff muscles, but warned her not to put the wound directly in the high pressure spray in case that might irritate it. He took a short nap with Boomer and Frank once he finished drying Frank off. He still owed Boomer more cuddles and the dog was collecting. Stiles and the dogs were awoken by a shriek from the bathroom which had them all on their feet and through the bathroom door. Stiles didn't even stop to think before his feet moved.

There was a lot of steam in the air, it really felt like a sauna in the sizable bathroom. He spotted a very nude and very wet Riley on the far side away from the door. She had a towel loosely grasped in her left hand and it barely covered her chest area facing Stiles. She had not even noticed his entrance; her face was angled to see her back facing the large mirror across from the shower stall. Stiles stepped closer to see what the problem was, and immediately saw what Riley did, or in this case did not see. The claw marks on her shoulder were completely gone.

Riley was pretty freaked out by the disappearing claw marks. They had been there and Stiles had the pictures as proof, but they had completely healed in the 45 minutes she showered. Stiles was freaked too, but he stayed calm and level headed. He promised her he would do some serious research to find out what attacked her and why it healed before he went home that night. Her uncle came home shortly after Stiles left, so making him dinner helped keep her mind off everything. That became the task of the week for Riley. Keep busy and not think about it. She would let Stiles do his research and get back to her before she worried too much.

"So when did McCall become so talented, Ryls?" her uncle was showing a lot of interest in Scott, which made her very excited.

"I have been working with both him and Stiles since last season. I know they are great players, they just have problems at practice." Riley explained to her uncle, "There are some pretty big egos that have pushed them to the sidelines. You have seen Stiles play good too, he would be great backing me up as a midfielder."

Her uncle gave her a critical look and thought about what she said. Stilinski had some promise, and there might be an opportunity or two this season to see how he did in an actual game. He wasn't likely to be starting, he hadn't showed quite the promise as McCall had, but he might be able to show how he did in a real game. Anything was better than Greenburg…He would put Frank in if he could get away with it.

"I need you to start getting the lists together for scrimmage this Friday. I think I want McCall playing with you and the other regulars. You can put Stalunski in the second or third heat. He's fast on his feet, so if he shows some promise he might make it off the bench this season for a game or two." He handed Riley the thick lacrosse binder. There had been some new players this year, mostly freshmen, replacing the seniors who graduated since last year. They had lost one of their regulars, a junior named Reins, who had moved out of state over the break. Scott could fill that opening this Friday. She would have to put some thought into who she placed Stiles with, to keep Jackson's minions to a minimum. Big and little Finstock spent the remainder of that night discussing lacrosse and working on the lineup for the upcoming scrimmage.

Wednesday classes flew by, Riley and Frank caught a ride with Lydia that day. They were going to the salon to get some manicures and pedicures with Natalie Martin, Lydia's mother. The woman was probably not going to be parent of the year, but Riley liked her a lot. She really did care for her daughter and for Riley. If Melissa McCall was Riley's substitute mother, Natalie Martin was her cool aunt. The woman was really torn up lately, the final, _final_ paperwork from Mr. Martin had come in for their divorce. She now had full custody of Lydia. Mr. Martin had made the entire process much more difficult, just to stick it to Natalie. He didn't even want custody of Lydia, but he didn't want to _look_ like a bad father. Riley had never really liked him, but she liked him even less after she went to spend the night with her friend and the girls caught the man with an intern from his office.

"We should really go shopping after our appointment." Lydia was always up for shopping. Riley was not so sure, the Finstocks were not doing terrible financially, but both Martin women had expensive tastes.

"That sounds wonderful sweetie, it has been so long since we had a girls day out. I just got quite the check from Jeff, and I can think of nothing better to do with it." Natalie agreed with her daughter. There would be plenty for all three to get some high dollar outfits.

Riley was having heart palpitations by the end of their shopping trip. Natalie refused to let Riley pay for anything. Jeff Martin had a very high paying profession and the courts had ordered he pay some incredible amounts for alimony and child support. The three actually didn't use half the check Natalie received despite all the designer purchases made.

"I like the red top on her better than the blue one." Natalie ran a discerning eye over Riley.

Lydia nodded in agreement with her mother. "You are so right. It just goes so well with her coloring. Lets look at shoes next. She doesn't have any _presentable_ heels…" And dress-up Riley day continued. She actually didn't argue with shoes, Lydia was talking about some real designer ones. Shoes were her weakness, especially heels to help her height challenged form. At least she was getting a new wardrobe out of this all.

By the end of the day, Riley had seen more money spent that she probably ever had. She thanked both Martin women immensely, despite her protest at having so much spent on her by her friend, she really was thankful. She wasn't poor by any means, her uncle was actually paid a lot just for his coaching position, but she wouldn't be able to afford half of what the Martins picked out for her. This was something Lydia had done for her, but not very often and Riley felt blessed that Lydia felt she was worth her time. She now understood it as a way Lydia showed she cared. She didn't do it for any of her other 'friends', maybe Allison will get the Martin treatment soon. Riley hoped they became that close, she knows Lydia needs another real friend and Allison seemed able to handle it well.

Stiles felt blessed to have Riley around. He wasn't terrible in the kitchen, he just couldn't cook some more complex dishes like she could. The Stilinski men spent most of their time eating take-out and diner food. Not the healthiest, despite Stiles trying to keep his father on a good diet for his heart. Riley was over with Boomer and Frank and offered to make some of her heart healthy chili and both men were all for that.

Noah Stilinski was enjoying his night off. Riley was making them both dinner while they spent some time watching TV together. Frank had made a place in the sheriff's lap, reclined in the big comfy chair with a soft and warm blanket. Stiles was sharing the couch with Boomer. Noah was holding in a grin as he watched the dog. Stiles wasn't paying attention, as the dog very slowly moved his paws to stretch out. When one made contact with his side, Stiles didn't look and pat Boomer's head. That was a mistake because the dog used his lack of attention to completely push the boy off the couch.

"What the- Boomer!" Stiles was face down on the floor and Noah was in stiches.

"That's what you get for ignoring him!" the man just enjoyed the sight of his son flailing on the floor a bit too much. A giggle caught the attention of both Stilinski men. They looked toward the opening to the kitchen, where Riley stood with her phone out.

"Oh my god – don't take a picture- Riley! Riley no!" Stiles flailed, face still stuck to the floor and ass in the air. Riley cackled and took a few more just to rub it in.

"Too late, I may have to send these to Scott!" she quickly turned back into the kitchen and hid her phone.

Stiles growled, "This is your fault." Boomer rolled around on his back, marking the couch with his sent in response to the boy's accusation. His couch now… Despite his whining, Stiles was having a good night. He had been up most of the week online or in some of the oldest sections of the library. There was little sleep to be had in his frenzy to research. He knew he was onto something, despite how crazy it seemed. He was just missing a final piece to the puzzle before he was ready to reveal it to his friends. He knew that piece would be the one to bring everything into reality. Tonight he planned to put everything together.

Riley was almost done making dinner, she set a Pyrex aside with some to feed her uncle later. There was a warm feeling in her chest as she had watched the antics in the living room. There was an overwhelming feeling of family that really centered her. This week had been crazy with the body and attack. She only had to get through one more day to get through. Once she got home and spent time with her uncle, the day would be complete.

Friday morning Scott found himself running panicked through the woods. He ended up in some random guy's pool, which was more than a little awkward. Riley hadn't gone for a nightly run, so they weren't sure if it related to everything else just yet. She had acknowledged some increasingly strange dreams, but nothing she acted on like Scott appeared to have. Stiles had been worried since her wound disappeared and stayed glued to her side more than usual, which seemed to keep her calm and grounded despite their shared worry over everything.

The week had been rough on all three teens. Riley and Scott continued to experience increasingly strange and often intense sensations. From better vision to better reflexes, they were both becoming more worried. Stiles had convinced Riley not to tell Scott her claw mark was gone until he could do some research. She knew better than to argue with her friend and Scott seemed to have enough to worry about already.

Scott was super stoked for the upcoming party and neither wanted to ruin it for him. Scott was right, he spent a lot of his life metaphorically on the bench. This would be his first real date, with a girl he was really crushing hard on. Both Stiles and Riley had been on dates before, however unsuccessful they ended up being so Scott was really reaching a milestone in life.

Stiles was becoming increasingly worried for both his friends and spent most of the week when he wasn't at school or hanging out with Scott and/or Riley at the local library or on the internet. He had to buy more printer paper to keep up with all the research he had been working on. He wasn't ready to show either friend, as he still wasn't positive how close to the realm of reality the theory occupied. The news he overheard from his father helped lend truth to it, so he felt it might be time to tell them.

After the final bell rang, it was time for lacrosse. Scott was focused on making it to first line, which Riley appreciated. If only they could get Stiles that committed to playing. She knew he could do it, but something seemed to hold him back. Riley would love being able to fully enjoy playing with both guys on her side. She knew she could trust them on the field, which was essential when things got crazy out there. She wouldn't have to worry about drama or politics with tem like she had to with Jackson and his cronies making up the bulk of 1st line.

Stiles was full of nervous energy by the time everyone was out on the field. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Riley before she was called over by her uncle. Beyond playing on the team, she also took up a manager position to help her uncle keep things organized. He had her work on the line up for scrimmage and once she was in lacrosse mode, she was mentally unreachable.

Scott seemed to have developed a similar attitude toward lacrosse this year. It was good for Scott but not at all helpful for Stiles at this point in time. He had a bombshell to drop and Scott was not cooperating. He spotted his friend from his position by the player benches.

"Scott! Scott, wait up." Stiles jumped when he saw a chance to speak with Scott.

"Stiles, Riley just told me I'm playing the first elimination, I'm sure it can wait until later." Scott blew him off and walked toward where the first elimination players were gathering around Coach and Riley.

"Just hold on, ok?" Stiles really tried to get him to listen, "I overheard my dad on the phone. The fiber analysis came back form the lab in L.A. They found animal hairs on the body from the woods!"

Scott continued waking away, "Stiles, I gotta go."

"Wait, no! Scott! You're not gonna believe what the animal was!" he trailed off as Scott completely ignored him. Stiles looked down and saw Frank looking at him with interest at his feet. In exasperation he told the dog, "It was a wolf." The dog placed a comforting paw on the boy's leg. At least someone was there to listen to him.

Coach called for the attention of the group of players near him and the few stragglers, "Let's go! Gather round! Bring it in, come on!" Riley saw Scott move his hand and looked at him oddly. Her uncle saw it too and called the boy out on it, "Got a question, McCall?"

Scott looked a little confused at the question, "What?" Riley was wondering where his head was right then, he seemed so focused when she told him her uncle had his eye on Scott's ability to play, but now he was leagues away.

"You raised your hand. You have a question?" Coach Finstock seemed as confused as the boy was.

"Oh – no. I was just, uh – nothing. Sorry" Riley felt second-hand embarrassment for her friend.

"Ok…You know how this goes. If you don't make the cut, you're most likely sitting on the bench for the rest of the season." Her uncle was a harsh man, but lacrosse was big for the Finstock family so Riley allowed the man child that one, "You make the cut – you play. Your parents are proud. Your girlfriend loves ya! Huh? Everything else is uh – Cream cheese. Now, get out there and show me whatcha got! Come on!"

The blow of the whistle signaled the start and all the players moved. Riley had been able to put Scott with her on the maroon team. Jackson seemed to be out for blood and demanded for her to place him opposite of what team Scott was on. Riley wasn't sure what happen, but there was clearly something up between the two boys.

Jackson was being especially aggressive which ramped up Riley's own aggression. He was aiming to keep Scott out of the spotlight, and she was not going to allow the boy to hinder her friend. She almost took out a couple of Jackson's cronies, following his lead. She got the ball and saw Scott across the field from her. He wasn't open but if he could play as good as he had been, she had confidence he could catch a tricky shot. She pirouetted around an incoming player and locked eyes with Scott. She nodded and he made his way closer, though still partially blocked by another player. Riley focused and spun in a hard and fast half turn. The ball flew high over players' heads and Scott brought his stick up quick.

As soon as the ball was secured in his possession he darted for the goal. Breaking out his own moves, he spun out of reach. Three defenders had moved in to block Scott's path to the goal. Without even thinking, Scott flew through the air over the blockade. As soon as his feet touched down from the flip he made the shot. The ball flew past the goalie and he scored. It was a pretty amazing show of teamwork and skill. The maroon team was gathered around Scott in celebration and Riley was certain her uncle would be impressed.

"McCall! Get over here! What in God's name was that? This is a lacrosse field." Riley knew her uncle enough to know what was coming, she had to fight the grin of accomplishment, "What, are you trying out for the gymnastics team?"

Scott looked scared, he couldn't see Riley's expression from her position slightly behind him so he had no clue what to expect from the eccentric instructor, "No, coach."

"What the hell was that?" Coach continued to stare Scott down, ramping up the intensity.

"I don't know. I – Riley passed it and I just tried to make the shot…" Scott had a cold sweat running down his back as he tried to explain whatever the hell just happen on the field.

"Yeah, well, you made the shot. And guess what?" he gave a pause for dramatic effect, "You're startin', buddy. You made first line. Come on!"

The field erupted in cheers at the news and Riley jumped on her friend's back. She knew he could do it, she just needed to get Stiles playing regularly and they would be golden. Looking over to said boy, Riley noticed his intense stare in their direction. He wasn't cheering like the others, just sitting there with Frank and looking like someone died. She had a feeling that he wasn't bummed about losing his bench buddy, something was seriously wrong. She would have to talk later, Lydia insisted she take Riley home to pick something appropriately sexy for the party. She wouldn't have time to see him until after Lydia left. Hopefully she would have time to run over before she had to get ready for the party, otherwise she wouldn't see Stiles until he came to pick her up.

Lydia spent a good hour fussing through Riley's closet. The room looked like a laundry bomb had gone off. Clothing was covering every available surface or hanging from all the doors. She was glad they had gone shopping, because Lydia had rejected all of her older clothing. She would not put it past the girl to make her go naked if there was nothing good enough to wear. Lydia was taller and smaller in the chest area so they could rarely share clothing. Shoes were worse with Lydia having larger feet than Riley's tiny size 6 feet.

They had finally narrowed it down to one outfit, a lose silky crop top in deep red that hung wonderfully off Riley's sizable bust and a tight skirt lacy that had a high waist and fell well above the knee in black. She would pair it with chunky black Louboutin heels Natalie had bought for her. The signature red bottom would pair well with her top. Her hair would be left down in its natural messy waves.

"So, what is with you and this Miles guy?" Lydia questioned her friend as they both worked to lean up the mess they had made. Frank had made a bed out of one pile of clothing, so Lydia just let him be.

"His name is Stiles, I know you know that. You now _everyone_ in Beacon Hills…" Riley looked at the other girl.

"That is besides the point. You have hardly taken your eyes off the dork this entire week. I could have sworn I saw you _smell_ him in history the other day. Something is up and I am concerned." Lydia was adamant.

Riley wasn't sure what Lydia was getting at. She hadn't been that bad, "There is nothing _up._ I'm not sure what you're thinking Lyd."

Lydia was not buying it, "I know you can be oblivious to these things, but I know those looks. You looked ready to jump him in chemistry when he was sassing Harris. You totally wanna f-"

"Lydia Martin! He is my best guy friend!" Riley felt like she was on fire, "He has always been there for me, don't just – just _sexualize_ him!"

She didn't like the look on Lydia's face after she said that, "You wanna _sexualize_ him. Don't take it badly, I'm sure he is redeemable if you have put up with him so long. It's just nice to see you finally growing up and being interested in a guy." She flipped her hair and squared Riley with a knowing look, "It's ok to like him as more than a friend. He may not be my first choice, but you need that kind of a security. I know you would be in for the long game, not just sex and maybe you should take that step. He helped you heal before, maybe he can give you the _sexual healing_ I know you need…"

Riley couldn't believe her ears. Lydia Martin was advocating she date _Stile Stilinski._ Was this the twilight zone? Sure, she thought he was attractive, but he was her friend and she was not willing to risk that. He had been her rock when her world was shattering around her all those years ago. He would probably get weirded out if she made a move, right?

"You don't have to decide now. Just keep it in mind Ry. I hate seeing you cut yourself off from these things." Lydia genuinely cared for Riley and she would take the girl's words to heart. Lydia always had a keen eye for this stuff, so maybe Riley should take a closer look too.

Once Lydia left, Riley had about half an hour to spare and run over to the Stilinski house. Stiles had sent her a text that he needed to talk asap. She leashed both Frank and Boomer and jogged down to his house. The dogs needed to get out and she wouldn't have another opportunity that night to walk them. They were happy to be out despite the slight chill in the air.

Riley didn't even get a chance to knock when the door to Stiles' house swung open. Scott almost ran right into Riley in his rush to leave. Frank oddly moved between her legs and Boomer gave a low growl at her friend. He looked completely out of it.

"S-sorry Ry. I gotta go…" He was gone before she could say anything. Riley glanced at her dogs in confusion.

"What is up with him? And what is up with you two. You guys love Scott…" she continued into the house and let the dogs off their leads. They had bowls for water that Stiles kept for their visits, they would be fine to run around the house on their own. Oddly, both dogs stuck to Riley like glue. She knew they were a bit tired from the run over, so they had to want some water. She decided to let it go and walked up the stairs, they would drink when they needed it and not a moment sooner.

The door was not closed completely when she reached the landing. Stiles was standing in his room looking away from Riley. The room was covered in papers and books from some serious research. He was staring intently at his office chair, which was laying on the floor.

"Stiles, what's going on?" she was getting more and more anxious. He jumped when she called out to him. He swallowed and motioned for her to enter his room. Riley stepped in and left the door cracked incase the dogs decided they wanted to get water. He was still acting weird, something was up.

"Um- you know when I was joking the other day? Out in the woods?" Riley wasn't sure what he was getting at.

"The wolf thing?" Stile swallowed and gave her a nod.

"Yah, its not much of a joke now. Scott is a werewolf, you might be too"

"Wait what? Stiles that sounds crazy." Riley wondered how much Adderall he had taken that day.

"I'm dead serious. Look what he did to my chair!" Riley saw cuts in the material, it looked like her shoulder had. Cold chills ran through her body, "And tonight is the full moon Ry! This is bad, like people could DIE."

Riley plopped down on his bed without speaking. Boomer and Frank sat at attention by her legs, like they were in work mode, despite not having their jackets on. Her ears were rushing, like when she had an attack starting. Everything went blank as her hear started racing. Werewolves!?

Stiles saw Riley sit and grew concerned. She hadn't spoke and her body language was tense. Boomer's head shot to look at Riley, she was going to have a panic attack. He rushed to her and slowly reached out to grasp her face. Her breath was coming out in pants and his heart sank. He hated when this happen, she had been doing so well lately and he didn't want this to set her back. Suddenly her eyes changed color, they went from their warm chocolate to a glowing gold. Holy shit.

Riley tried to stop what she knew was coming, tried to keep herself afloat as the panic clawed at her throat and chest. Suddenly she felt a gentle touch on her face, Stiles was looking right into her eyes. Suddenly the water that had been drowning her receded and she could focus. His scent encompassed her and she finally felt grounded. Like he had always been, Stiles was her rock.

"Riley, you are a werewolf." His voice was weak with shock, but he didn't move away from her.

"I don't know how to comprehend this, Stiles…this is so crazy but…" her voice came out stronger than she thought it would. She kept focusing on his touch and scent, keeping the flood of panic from overtaking her again. Boomer and Frank had moved in to lean on her, which helped her too.

Neither teen moved and the silence of the room was deafening. Where did they even go from here? Werewolves were real and she was one. The silence was broken by Riley's phone. She set an alarm to give her enough time to get home and get ready.

"Scott's going to the party. Maybe you should stay home…I will have to go to keep an eye on him since he refused to cancel his date…" Stiles wasn't happy to suggest it, he was really looking forward to going with her, but it might not be a good idea considering the current situation. She didn't feel comfortable in that environment and now it ran the risk of _really_ setting her off.

"No, I have to go. Lydia would throw you out with her bare hands if you showed without me. She already picked everything out for me and would blame you if I didn't go." Riley stood and her dogs seemed less tense now, "Scott could hurt you Stiles, if this really is our lives now. If the wound I had before is anything to go on, I heal faster than normal."

Stiles didn't like what she was saying, he would still jump between her and Scott if he tried something, but she was right. He would not get into that party without her there. Scott had Allison so he wouldn't have trouble staying, but Stiles was only there as an extension of Riley. He agreed and put his arms over her shoulders, pulling her closer to his body gently.

"We will figure this out Rylie. I'm not letting anything happen to you." Their foreheads touched as he bent closer, "Everything will be ok, you don't have to worry."

Riley felt like crying and tilted her head up so their noses were touching. He always took care of her and this would be no different, "I know…you are amazing Stiles. Your friends become supernatural monsters and you don't even flinch."

"You could never be a monster Ry. Never. I never want to hear those words out of your mouth again." His eyes were intense and darker than she had ever seen them. His scent now had that underlying tingly and mouthwatering quality. She would be ok if he was there. She didn't have to worry because he could get her through it. The conversation with Lydia replayed in her mind. They were so close right now, closer than friend probably should be. She was once again left without direction. Lydia was right, there was something there and it didn't feel one sided. Would there be any _more_ crazy reveals by the end of the night?

Riley didn't have as much time to get ready as she had allotted. She made up the difference by speed painting her face and keeping the make-up simple. In the words of her art teacher it was "good enough for government work." It was enough to satisfy Lydia. She didn't bother with her hair beyond brushing it and her outfit was thrown on. It was already getting dark out and Stiles should be there any second. She made her way to the living room to watch at the big front window.

"So, you are actually being a teen tonight?" her uncle was flipping through the channels on their big TV. It was pretty magnificent, something he bought it with last year's tax refund.

"I'm always a teenager. Really, I just might go get pregnant at 15 to spite you." She snarked back.

"I just might shake Bilinspy's hand if he can actually achieve that." He laughed at her.

"You know his name, and what makes you think he would be the guy!?" Really everyone was jumping on the Riles ship today!

"Riley that brat actually gave me a two-hour lecture on taking care of you when you came home from the hospital. He was more detailed than the friggin' doctor was. You might as well be having sex at this point!" Bobby Finstock might not always be socially aware, but he wasn't stupid.

Riley rolled her eyes at him and spotted blue. Stiles was there just in time to rescue her from this wholesome family moment, "I will be sure to send you an announcement of our pending nuptials before the night is through. I have to go."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do Ryls." She stopped to level her uncle with a raised brow.

"You and uncle Dan once stripped naked, covered yourself in maple syrup, and flipped a golf cart at a retirement community gathering." He just laughed at her.

"You know how boys can be..." he brushed it off.

"That was last year. At Aunty Bell's birthday party. You guys weren't even drunk."

"Good luck, Stilunski…" the man child muttered as a familiar blue jeep pulled into the drive. Riley sent a final look at him before running to meet her friend.

Stiles kept looking over at Riley the whole way to the party. She took that as a good sign. The feeling of his eyes helped balance out the nervous energy consuming her. She had a general feeling of illness and her entire body just felt… _wrong_. She hoped tonight didn't end in a bloodbath. Stiles' hand suddenly touched her own and she had something better to focus on. He was giving her strength when she couldn't help but think the world was falling apart around her.

Stiles and Riley were both nervous as they pulled up to the Martin house. It looked like the party was already in full swing and it spilled over into the front yard. Stiles was feeling particularly anxious. His friends were now creatures of myth and he was on a sort of date with Riley. It was already shaping up to be an exciting night. Now he just had to keep his kinda-date from killing someone and his best friend from killing his own date. No pressure.

The first thing on the agenda was presenting Riley to Lydia. Stiles had to hold back a glare as the popular girl as she inspected Riley. She had better not say a single thing about her. Riley looked fan-fucking-tastic tonight. She finished with Riley and gave Stiles the stink eye.

"He will have to do." ' _He will have to do',_ Stiles mocked her voice in his head, he didn't want to start something with Riley's female friend and upset her. Plus, if it came to blows, he wasn't positive Lydia couldn't kick his ass. Best save face and his manhood.

"Come on Stiles, lets go dance. This is a party, people dance at parties" Riley gripped his hand as they waded into the sea of half-drunk teens. Stiles felt excitement at the idea, despite the crazy, he would try and enjoy the night.

They made it outside where everyone was dancing. Stiles spotted Scott as he pulled Riley close. A glance to the sky made him more nervous as the moon glowed bright above them. Riley buried her face in his chest, taking deep breaths and shuddering. Stiles felt like electricity was running through his body. Their moment was interrupted when suddenly Scott pushed past them and rushed away.

"Yo, Scott, you good?" Stiles kept a grip on Riley, pulling her with him to follow their friend. He saw Scott driving away as they reached the front yard. Riley practically collapsed against him as Allison turned to them both.

"Do you know what's wrong with him? Why did he just leave that!?" Allison demanded and Riley groaned.

"H-he wasn't feeling good earlier…I'm not doing to hot myself. I think we both caught the same bug. He probably didn't want to embarrass himself tonight. He was really looking forward to seeing you…" Riley was quick to calm the girl, despite the agony she was now feeling. Stiles was pretty much holding her up at this point. Allison looked more calmed by her words and noticed how sick Riley was looking.

"Allison, I'm a friend of theirs. Scott called me to check on you. I think Stiles needs to help Riley get home, so let me give you a ride." It was Derek Hale, he leveled Stiles with a look, "My name's Derek."

Stiles was not able to argue, despite this creep lying his ass off, he made a good point. Riley was not doing to good, he could practically feel the pain radiating off her. It seemed like this guy knew something and Stiles would have to find out another time. He had to make a choice, Riley or Allison?

"Derek can get you home Allison." Riley, it would always be Riley. He tried to swallow the guilt of maybe getting a classmate murdered.

"He can kind of be a crazy driver Allison. Send me a pic of you in your room when you get home…I'm serious, the guy nearly gave me a panic attack." Riley weakly chimed in from her position against Stiles. Allison knew how bad her anxiety could get by now, "If you don't, we will call Stiles' dad to pull Derek over."

Derek gave Riley a nod when she leveled him with a glare. Stiles could see her eyes glowing, but thankfully Allison was not looking at her. He understood the threat and was smart enough not to disappear with Allison and kill the innocent girl. Stiles was thankful the pain was not keeping Riley from thinking on her feet.

"I promise, wouldn't want my chauffer to be arrested." Allison laughed, unaware of the potential danger, "You get home and to bed Riley, you really don't look good. If Scott really is sick like you, I might just forgive him. He still has to give a pretty amazing apology though."

Stiles didn't wait long after Allison followed Derek to his car. Riley was breathing heavy now. Her Eyes were a constant gold and her teeth were looking unusually sharp in the moonlight. They had to leave and leave now. He didn't want her to fall over in those heels, so he decided to carry her.

Riley was surprised when Stiles bent down and stuck his arm under her knees. There was a bit of vertigo at the sudden change of position when he abruptly stood with her in his arms. His scent surrounded her as she burrowed into his jacket. She felt like crap and was not going to complain if he wanted to carry her. He didn't even put her down as he struggled to open the driver side door of the jeep. Once he got it open, he gently slid Riley across the seat just enough to be able to drive.

Stiles had a difficult time focusing on the road with Riley there. She had draped herself him and placed her face right into his neck. She was slowly running her hand through the short hair at the nape of his neck, sending tingles down his spine. Her quick panting breaths kept his mind from completely derailing and he was able to get them safely to his house. There was no way he was leaving her alone now and his dad would be gone all night.

He carried her up his stairs and deposited her on the bed. She _definitely_ had fangs now and her hands had transitioned to claws. He was able to get her shoes off before Riley pulled him onto the bed with her. He ended up laying right beside her as she curled into his side and was raking his fingers through her soft chocolate locks. He was so glad she had let it grow out…He felt a wetness through his shirt and realized she was silently crying. He wasn't sure how much of it was emotional overload and how much came from any pain she was experiencing. All he could do at this point was hold her. He had plans about hunting down the damn wolf that attacked his friends. If the legends were true, they had to have some control beyond the full moon. Sunday night was a week before the moon was full so that led him to believe that bastard _chose_ to attack and turn a couple of kids in the woods.

So far, she hadn't gone crazy like Scott seem to, which was a good sign. He needed to get ahold of Scott to see how he was doing. Scott had enough control to drive from the party, so he had faith his friend hadn't gone on a rampage. He knew Scott had inner strength to get through the night. Right now he was allowing himself to be selfish and hold onto Riley. He still felt to much guilt to let her out of his sight. Once she was feeling better, they could try and check in on Scott physically. He could try and call him now though.

Luckily Stiles realized his cell was in his jacket pocket, Riley was able to dig it out while he kept a tight hold on her. Her eyes were staying a solid gold now, which despite the situation were very striking to him. Riley brought up Scott's number and her reluctantly took the phone from her slightly trembling hand to hold up to his face. The phone rang and rang, eventually it went to voicemail and he had to redial. After about 5 calls, Scott finally picked up.

"You were right. I'm sorry man, this is crazy…It was Derek. He attacked Riley and me on the preserve. He's a werewolf." Scott didn't sound good, but at least he answered.

"That would explain how he seemed to know…" Stiles trailed off, more to himself than to Scott.

"What do you mean!?" Scott asked, panic in his voice.

"He- um He showed at the party. He drove Allison home. Riley is a werewolf too and I couldn't do anything." He hoped Scott would not freak.

"Are you crazy!? He'll kill her!" Scott freaked.

Riley suddenly growled and took the phone from Stiles, "Scott he knows we will call the cops if anything happens. There were a ton of people that saw her with him. She is going to text me when she gets home. If you had just listed to Stiles and postponed the stupid date…she will be _fine._ Now calm down and stop berating Stiles!" As if the gods understood timing her own phone dinged. It was a picture of Allison with a bed and several boxes in the background, "She is home Scott, she just sent a pic….Scott?" He didn't answer and Riley sighed. That Idiot…

Riley was feeling like herself now and the claws were gone. Stiles wanted to go look for Scott as they were both sure he took off as soon as he thought Allison was in danger. Riley insisted on changing out of her party clothes and stole one of Stiles flannel shirts and a pair of shorts with a drawstring. Despite the situation, Stiles took a hot minute to look her over. She ignored that, filing it away for a time when she didn't feel like shit and didn't have a friend to locate. They stumbled into the jeep and started their search.

They first stopped at the McCall house, and were unsurprised that Scott was gone. Stiles kept driving and Riley resisted laying in his lap. Scott wasn't around the Argent home from what they could see, so they continued. Stiles finally spotted the missing boy near the Preserve after about an hour of driving around. How he ended up there, they were both interested in finding out.

"Derek found me. He said the bite was a _gift_." Scott broke the silence, "There were these guys trying to kill us. They _hunt_ werewolves. I was shot…with a crossbow…"

Riley and Stiles both stared at him in shock. What the hell? First werewolves now hunters. Was this life now? And what would they do about Derek? What _could_ they do about Derek? Was he planning on biting _more_ people? Important questions they probably wouldn't get answers to tonight. Stiles started driving, sitting there was not going to do them any good. It had been a long night and he just wanted to get back home.

"You know what actually worries me the most?" Scott spoke morosely.

Stiles turned back to glare at him, "If you say Allison, I'm gonna punch you in the head."

"She probably hates me now…" he defended himself.

"She thinks we both got a bug. Derek did tell her _you_ sent him, so it isn't that bad. She did say she expected an amazing apology." Riley told him and Stiles nodded along.

"You could always tell her the truth- that you're a frickin' werewolf!" both werewolves glared at the buzz cut boy, "Ok, bad idea. Hey, don't worry, we'll get through this. Scott, if I have to, I'll chain you up myself on full moon nights and feed you live mice. I had a boa once. I could do it."

"Why just me? What about Riley?" Scott was not amused with Stiles.

"I mean, I could chain her up too…" he trailed off when not so innocent images of Riley came to mind. Said girl looked at him confused and he swallowed. Scott grinned and raised a brow, he knew exactly where Stiles' mind went with that.

"You know Scott, _I_ did not take a midnight jaunt through the woods like _someone…_ " Scott playfully glared at her while she grinned. At least they could find some humor in this all.

"On a more serious topic, are we sure Derek is the _only_ werewolf around? That he is _absolutely_ the only one who could have attacked us?" Riley's instincts were screaming at her that there was more going on, despite Scott's certainty.

"Like I said, he called it a _gift_ …" Scott was sure Derek did this, "He practically admitted it right there!"

"Just because he likes being a werewolf…despite hunters and all…does not mean he did it. We know nothing about him, and I think we need more information before we make an enemy of the only werewolf we _know_ of." Something just wasn't sitting right to her.

"Why do you say that Ry?" Stiles wanted to know what she was getting at.

The girl sucked in a breath while she gathered her thoughts. "Well, right now he is our only lead if we want to know what is real and what is myth right now. For all we know, there could be a lot more werewolves around. Wolves are pack animals after all." She paused and looked at both boys listening to her, "We just found out how little we know about the world, and I don't want us to burn bridges before we get in over our heads."

Both boys considered her words in silence. They were both ready to kill the guy, but Riley was a voice of reason. She was right, there was too much they did not know, things they _needed_ to know if they wanted to survive this crap.

It took a bit to make it to the McCall house to drop Scott off. Stiles didn't want to leave Riley alone, so he just drove to his house again. They were silent when they walked to his room. Riley collapsed onto the bed and Stiles just changed into his sleepwear in the room. They were both too exhausted to care at this point. He walked to the bed and Riley moved aside to allow him a place in the center of the bed. Once he was settled, Stiles pulled her halfway on top of him. Her face fit perfectly into the crook of his neck. Neither spoke, just allowed themselves to enjoy the comfort of each other. They had never been _this_ close and they both reveled in the presence of the other. There was no question that they were on the precipice of something wonderful.


	4. Chapter 4: Second Chance Part 1

I would like to thank those of you who have followed or fav-ed my story so far. Special thanks to the guest and two members who have taken the time to leave a review. I am so glad that people seem to like Riley so far and I hope Frank and Boomer are also well liked. I thought the dynamic between werewolves and dogs something worth exploring and would love to know what you guys think. I decided to post what I have for now, since it has been a while now. Let me give a disclaimer since I have not in previous chapters, **I do not own Teen Wolf or any other TV Show, Book, Movie, Etc. beyond having bought DVD's. I make no money writing this fanfiction and if I owned anything beyond my own characters, I would not be writing on the internet. Alas I am a very poor college kid with no life, so here we are…**

Chapter 3: A Second Chance at First Line Part 1

The weekend ended up being very quiet after the crazy that was Friday night. Riley spent most of her time with her dogs and Stiles. Both teens tried to get Scott out, but he felt his time best spent sulking over his failure of a date with Allison. Stiles and Riley were more than a little tired of Scallison drama and their friend hadn't even really dated the girl yet.

Frank and Boomer stuck very close to Riley since Friday. When all three began getting restless, Stiles drove them out to the Beacon Hills Preserve. Both teens decided a little training was in order. Just because Riley was a werewolf now, did not mean she was ready to fight or run for her life from hunters who made killing beings like her their goal in life. Stiles wanted to be able to keep up with his supernatural friends. Both dogs were more than happy to accommodate them.

"Oh god, RILEY! How do you stop him!" Stiles was doing an incredible interpretation of a kite, flailing after Boomer as the dog ran at top speeds. Riley's sides were splitting from laughter. "Seriously, someone stop this thing!"

Eventually, Stiles let go of Boomer's leash and the dog felt the lack of boy immediately. He stopped and turned to find his lost passenger. As soon as the boy was located, Boomer administered emergency licks to the face. That is were Riley came up upon them with Frank. Frank decided to join Boomer and licked the boy on the ground back to life. Riley decided to help Stiles and got him to his feet.

"How about the werewolf takes the demon dog next time?" He sarcastically asked her. She just giggled at him. Stiles had all sorts of leaves and twigs stuck in his clothing and hair. She began gently extracting them from his person while he whined. "That beast has an evil streak…"

"I think he is a bit bitter from the other day at your house, when you stole his couch from him Stiles." Riley had him bend down so she could reach his head. He was a good 10 inches taller than her 5 foot frame.

"His- _his_ couch!? He literally pushed me off it. I just took back _my_ couch." Stiles huffed at her. Riley picked up Boomer's discarded leash from the ground and passed Frank's leash to Stiles. They both jogged back to the entrance, where Roscoe the Jeep was parked.

They made a stop at the McCall house to see how Scott was holding up. He was just moping in his bed. Stiles tried to get him up to play video games, but Scott ignored his friend. Riley finally got Scott out of his bed and in the shower. While he washed up, Stiles helped her fix a simple lunch. Sandwiches were the extent of their culinary prowess with what was in the fridge. There wasn't much conversation while they ate. Stiles was ready to burst, but Riley made him keep silent. They both wanted to talk about werewolves, but Scott was particularly bothered by the subject so they would allow it for at least that weekend.

Riley seemed to be adjusting better to their new life compared to Scott. She realized that there was little to do to change her new creature status. If there was some sort of cure out there, it would probably be rare and difficult to acquire. She still had Stiles, and he was being super supportive of everything she was now. If she had the chance, she might not take it. Scott on the other hand was in a state of denial and would jump at a chance to become normal again. Riley had a strong feeling that Scott would be have more problems the more he pushed that new part of himself away.

Once Scott decided to go back to sulking, Stiles took Riley and the dogs to her house. Coach was watching something sports related in the living room with some guys, so the teens made a nest on Riley's bed with the dogs. She had a flat screen TV mounted on the wall. They spent the rest of their weekend cuddled together watching action movies. They both felt content to rest as much as they could, there was an agreement that this was the calm before the storm.

Neither had brought up the shift in their relationship. They both knew something was there, but seemed to just allow things to fall into place on their own. They would have to define themselves at some point, but it wasn't necessary at this point. Riley was sure Lydia would _know_ something was up, but she wouldn't have to face the girl until Monday. Lydia and Jackson seemed to be spending their weekend locked away, so Riley hadn't gotten any texts back from her friend. She checked her cellphone once more and curled back into Stiles' side.

Monday came faster than anyone was ready for. They were not ready for reality to hang back over their heads once again. Riley had to make a stop to pick up Frank. Miss Morrell was waiting there with Erica when she reached the office. Frank perked up from his spot on the floor and ran over to Riley. Erica frowned slightly but said nothing.

"Miss Finstock, I wanted to have a word with you and Miss Reyes together." She motioned for both girls to follow her into her private office. Riley was confused but Erica seemed to know what was going on and wasn't happy about it. Once everyone was settled in the room the counselor got right to the point, "I believe it would be best if you kept Frank with you exclusively Miss Finstock. I know you really want to aide your classmates, but there has been a lot of demand for him to be away from you. I have spoken with your doctor, who also expressed concerns."

"But-" Erica tried to interrupt the counselor.

"Erica, we have discussed this. You know Riley had Frank for a reason. I know he is of comfort in your sessions, but as we discussed, you have been focusing more on the dog than on your problems." Riley felt like a third wheel there.

"If Frank can't be here, I could see if the organization that trained him would be able to lend one of theirs for the school day. Maybe not a fully trained one, but they do have programs for people to help train the puppies…" Erica smiled at Riley at the suggestion, "Or we can try to get a seizure service dog, which would really help her condition."

Miss Morrell gave her a slight smile too, "We can look at other options, but I must insist that Frank stay with you for the _entire_ school day. I can't control what you do out of school, but I assume you spend plenty of time with him and Boomer at home." The teacher turned to Erica, "Erica, we can look into other options at a later date. I agree with Riley here, an actual service dog would be a great benefit. We might have to discuss it with your parents."

"I could help too, Erica, I know how much they can help and might help convince them this time." She looked at her classmate and tried to smile. She wasn't going to lie, It was hard to lend Frank out like she had, especially since she was bitten. She felt better having at least one of the dogs with her, especially when Stiles was not there. It must be a werewolf thing, being so possessive.

"While your treatment has been going well, I know it hasn't disappeared. I understand you have had a _stressful_ time back since break and we don't want you to _relapse_. It would end badly for everyone, and Frank is here for you, not anyone else." Riley felt suspicion at the teacher's words. She was definitely hinting at something that wasn't just her panic attacks. She couldn't possibly… There was a sense of threat in those last words, which had Riley holding her wolf back. Frank moved in closer to her chest from her position on his person's lap.

Riley gave a tight smile to Erica and the counselor before leaving the office. She gripped the dog to her chest and began searching for Stiles' scent. Her body was urging her to be near him, that being near him would help her relax. His unique smell mixed with Scott's in the male locker room. She decided to change first and turned into the opposite room. She was quick to change into her full uniform and pads. She took Frank's work coat off and put his own little jersey on the dog. The change in his demeanor was very obvious, he relaxed a tad and acted more like an excitable dog out of work mode. Once both were ready for practice, they walked out to find the boys. Both scents were still in the locker room, so Riley opened the door and walked in. As the only girl on the team, she had spent plenty of time in there with the boys.

Both were toward the back, Scott was still not ready for practice and looked like he was slapped in the face. She walked around the other players still changing and stopped behind Stiles.

"What is going on? You look terrible Scott…" Stiles looked at her and shook his head.

"Allison's dad…um was the guy who shot Scott…" He seemed a bit mystified by his own words.

"Are you serious? He's a… _hunter_? Is _she…_ " Riley could not bring herself to finish the sentence. While she was not overly close with the girl, she didn't seem the type to kill, and make no mistake, hunters were right on the line of murderers in Riley's eyes.

"Not sure…" Scott's slightly mystified tone.

"Ok Scott, lets take this one step at a time. Focus on lacrosse." Stiles began gathering Scott's gear and pushing everything at Scott, "Take this. Take this and focus on lacrosse for now, ok?"

"Yah Scott, we will tackle the other stuff together, for now we have practice. I need you to play and offset the hot air Jackson exudes." Riley moved to Scott's side and put a hand on his shoulder in support.

"Lacrosse." Scott was still not all there, but he would at least try.

"Here we go!" Stiles took Riley's hand and dragged her out of the locker room.

Everyone was gathering out on the field. There were still some stragglers behind the trio of teens, but everyone important made it out there. They set up Frank's bed and water bowl while they waited for Coach to get started.

"Let's go! One – on – one from the top! Jackson! Take a long stick today. Atta boy. That's how you do it!" Everyone sprung into action, Jackson grabbing the long stick for defense at Coach's command. Greenberg had somehow crept up close to Riley as she moved to line up, she didn't notice but her uncle did, "Greenberg, take a lap. Let's go. Faster, Greenberg! Let's go." The creepy guy jumped when he was called out and started running. While keeping an eye on Greenburg, Coach turned back to the lined up players. McCall was up and Coach was ready to really push him. "McCall, what are you waiting for? Let's go. Hey McCall. Hey, McCall!"

Scott was taken out by Jackson. As he was getting up, Jackson took an opportunity to goad him, "You sure you still want to be first line, McCall?"

Stiles and Riley both winced as they watched. Scott was still not in the right frame of mind and Jackson was doing him no favors. They prayed Scott could keep it together. "My – my grandmother can move faster than that." Riley rolled her eyes at his words, "And she's _dead_. You think you can move faster than the – lifeless corpse of my dead grandmother?" Great Granny Willow was certainly _not_ dead and Riley would be sure to tell her what her favorite grandson said about her…

"Yes, Coach." Scott got up. Riley had a bad feeling about how he was acting, Stiles felt it too.

"I can't _hear_ you." Coach was really pushing Scott's nerves there.

" _Yes_ , Coach." He was eyeing Jackson.

"Then do it again." Coach walked back toward the line, "McCall's gonna do it again! McCall's gonna do it again! Let's go!" The man missed his calling as a cheerleader, with his repetition of everything.

Scott took off toward Jackson and the resounding sound had everyone wincing. Riley could actually hear the sound of Jackson's bones moving. If nothing was broken, it had to be dislocated. Everyone rushed to Jackson's side, but Riley and Stiles. Scott had still not gotten up and he was panting heavily. They both ran to their friend's side.

"Scot? Scott, you ok?" Stiles gripped his shoulder. Riley saw the problem immediately.

"Stiles, he's gonna change! He can't control it…" She whisper yelled, "We gotta get him out of here."

"It's happening…." Scott was struggling. Stiles' face lost all blood and he felt a bit faint.

"Hat? Right here? Now?" Riley gave him a nudge to move, "Come on, get up. Come on, Scott. Come on." They pulled their friend to his feet. They were able to move Scott into the locker room. He was looking worse than before.

"Come on, here we go. There. That's it." They sat their friend down and Stiles tried to look him in the face, "You ok? Scott, you ok?" Riley saw it before Scott moved. She grabbed Stiles and pulled him back right as he really freaked out.

"Get away from me!" Scott was in full werewolf mode at this point. Stiles tried to crawl away as Scott started jumping on the lockers. Riley felt herself lose control a bit. Stiles was in danger, Scott was losing it and she had to snap some sense back into him. She let out a deep growl, something she didn't realize she had in her. The stress from earlier that day seemed to overflow and her control slipped. Stiles was still running out of the way and Riley jumped in from of a lunging Scott. As she grappled with him, keeping him away from the much more fragile Stiles, they were both shot with something freezing cold. Stiles had sprayed the CO2 fire extinguisher at them, which was cold enough to burn if they had been regular people.

"What just happen?" Scott was still out of it. Riley stumbled back into Stiles. He had to hold her up as she calmed down. They both lowered onto the floor and breathed.

"You tried to kill me and Riley had to hold you back." Riley felt tears leave her eyes, overcome with stress. She felt something on her leg and looked up. Frank had gotten off his leash and followed them into the locker room. He was pawing at her leg and she picked him up. Stiles saw her bury her face into the dog's fur and moved closer to put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "It's like I told you Friday, the anger…your pulse rising…that's a trigger."

"But that's lacrosse. It's a pretty violent game, if you hadn't noticed." Scott sounded weak.

"Well it's gonna be a lot more violent if you end up killing someone on the field. You can's play like this, you're gonna have to get out of the game." Stiles sighed and gripped Riley.

"I'm first line…" Scott whined.

"Not anymore." Stiles finally felt his heart slow down.

"What about Riley? If I can't play, she can't either." Stiles rolled his eyes at Scott's tone.

"When has Riley _ever_ lost control playing lacrosse. She has never so much as had a minor panic attack on the field. That is probably the only time she is 120% focused on something." Riley looked up from Frank's coat at the topic.

"I can try to get out too, but I doubt anything less than hospitalization in a full body cast will keep my uncle from sending me in." She was being realistic. "Stiles is right though, I have always felt in control of myself on the field." Lacrosse gave her a sense of control of both herself and the world around her. Even when they were behind, losing helplessly in a real or practice game, she felt things would be ok because it was a game and she was still having fun.

Once all three teen made it safely home, Riley spent a good hour listening to Lydia rant on the phone. She was angry about Scott taking out Jackson. The fact that Riley was defending her male friend put her on Lydia's shit list for a bit. Riley knew her friend could be petty when it came to her popularity and tried not to let it get to her too much. Lydia had a hard time turning it off and this wasn't the first time she had argued with Riley. Scott was her _brother_ , maybe not in blood but her brother all the same. She could not let Lydia insult him.

Riley had pointed out that Scott hadn't intended to hurt Jackson, but the same couldn't be said for Jackson. All it too was a little force in the wrong place to get a bad injury in a contact sport like lacrosse. As good as he played, Jackson was rarely on defense like he had been today, so he wasn't use to properly shifting to take on the force of a player while maintaining his position. The force Scott had used, was not beyond what a human could do despite being connected to his change. It was more like force just above what human Scott had been capable of. It certainly was not the first injury of the sort to happen at practice, and normally those were caused by Jackson. About time he got a taste of his own medicine.

After getting off the phone with a fuming Lydia, she set her laptop on the floor where she had an assortment of lounge pillows and blankets. The dogs took positions around her while she connected with Stiles on video chat. "He had a separated shoulder. Lydia said the doctor wasn't sure about signing off on his participation for the game." Stiles nodded, he could feel how tired Riley was from her voice.

"She was mad at _you_ wasn't she." Riley tried to protest but he wasn't having it. "I know she was, she does this all the time. I know you are _friends_ and all but I hate the way she treats you sometimes. She has not right to make you feel like shit when she gets upset." He had a point and she knew it. It was a conversation they had many times. Lydia was friendship challenged for all her genius. If Riley had to give a reason, she would blame Jackson. Their relationship was messed up, Lydia could never be herself with him and those feeling bottled up until they exploded. Riley was the only one who didn't force her to put on a persona, so she often felt the brunt of her feelings, good and bad.

"Can we talk about something else, I still feeling _raw_ from defending Scott for injuring her tool of a boyfriend." She was tired of beating a dead horse right now. She would face the Lydia issue another time, she expected to be ignored until after the game.

"We have time before Scott should be on. What was up when you met us in the locker room?" Stiles had noticed her behavior, despite the focus at the time being on Scott and his love life drama.

"Frank is no longer going to be working with other students." She simplified the conversation with Erica and Miss Morrell.

"There is more though, isn't there?" Stiles could read her well and knew something was bothering her.

"I think Miss Morrell _knows_ something…like she was implying she knew something was up and she even…threatened me…" She had time to think it over and became more convinced the woman was in the know about supernatural problems.

Stiles looked both stunned and not even surprised. "Miss Morrell always knows everything, like to an annoying degree. She isn't wrong though, even if she wasn't talking about your _furry problem_. I can tell the dogs help you stay calm. They have been so much more responsive since Friday." Riley had noticed it too, said dogs were currently laying around her in the nest of pillows half asleep. "I wonder if she is a hunter or something. I mean we would never have suspected Allison's family if Scott hadn't seen them with his own eyes. I doubt they are the only hunters out there…"

"That's a good point. I don't really see her much anymore, so it won't be difficult to avoid her. She really put me on edge…like I could actually _feel_ the wolf inside me on edge, ready to defend from attack or something." She took a breath and hugged her sleeping dogs before going on, "After I just had to…find you Stiles…"

He took a breath at that confession. "I helped you?"

She nodded, "More than I can express with words, you just feel…safe." Stiles felt warmth at her words. He was ecstatic that he could actually help with her wolf problems. "It was like Friday, touching you made the…pain kind of fade away. I was just drowning in all these sensations but you kept me focused."

"Is that why you didn't take a jaunt through the woods like Scott?" Stiles had all sorts of ideas and theories racing through his head. Above them all was the assurance that she did feel _something_ for him. "Like I kept you in control, where he let instincts control him?"

She had to think back on her feelings from today and from that night. "I don't know if I was _not_ going with my instincts Stiles. It felt pretty instinctual to find you, but it was like…both the human and wolf brain were in sync." It was a difficult thing to put into words.

Stiles felt even more excited at the new information. Before they could continue the conversation, Scott's call box came up. Stiles grabbed his toy gun and pointed it at the camera as the video appeared. Riley laughed and Scott scoffed at the childish action.

"Did either of you find anything out?" He knew Riley at least would have heard from Lydia at this point.

"Jackson's got a separated shoulder." Stiles was the first to speak.

"Because of me?" Scott felt guilty for losing control still.

"Because he's a tool. Not sure if he is playing yet, but I'm sure he will do so with or without the permission of the doctor. It is not the first separated shoulder our team has seen from practice." Riley tried to reassure her friend.

Stiles nodded along with her, "From what I have gathered, the team will be counting on you regardless of Jackass playing." Something caught his eye in Scott's video feed. The feed was cutting out a bit, the McCall's internet was not the best. He began typing, which caught Riley's attention, 'it looks like…'

Scott was getting frustrated with his connection too, "What? Looks like what?" as he waited for the text to load. "Come on. Damn it. What?"

Stiles continued to type, 'there's someone behind you.' Scott felt his heart stop when he read that. He whirled to face the intruder only to be grabbed and thrown against the wall. It was Derek Hale.

"I saw you on the field." The leather clad wolf all but snarled at him. Scott was scared shitless at that moment, they had no idea what this guy was capable of. Stiles and Riley were freaking out from the little the camera was catching.

"Wha-what are you talking about?" He tried to keep his voice steady but was not doing a very good job.

"You shifted in front of them! If they find out about what you are, they find out about me. About _all of us._ " Scott was slammed into the wall again, "and then it's not just the hunters after us, it's _everyone._ "

Scott protested the accusation, "But – They didn't see anything! I…s-swear, I-"

Derek cut him off and got closer to look the terrified teen in the eyes. "And they won't! Because if you even try to play that game on Saturday – I'm gonna kill you myself." And before Scott could catch his breath, the man was gone and he was once again alone in his home. Scott heard his computer, the video call was still open and both his friends were frantic.

"Riley, he threatened me not to play, he might be headed for you next!" Scott warned his friend. This sent the already frantic Stilinski through the roof and before anything more was said, Stiles was missing from the video window which had been left connected.

Stiles' mind blanked as his feet carried him to his trusty blue jeep. He was on the road in seconds and going way above the legal limit to reach the Finstock house. He saw Coach's big truck, so he figured he would be jumping the fence tonight. Before he could begin his climb, the gate opened and Riley was standing there.

"I figured…Boomer and Frank are guarding my room if tall dark and furry shows up." Riley's voice was quiet and Stiles pulled her to his chest. He shut the gate and clicked the lock back into place. They remained close as they walked back around the corner to Riley's room. Boomer was standing at attention, guarding the door. He had made no noise so they guessed the Hale werewolf had not made it there yet, if he would actually show up that night. Stiles brain was working enough before he left, he had grabbed his backpack so he would be able to stay the night.

"Dad is working late tonight, I have everything but a change of clothes so I'm not leaving you alone." Stiles informed her. He grabbed his phone and shot his father a text letting him know he would not be home that night, in case he stopped by the house or got off early.

"You and Scott left some jeans and stuff here a few of weeks ago. I keep forgetting to get them back to you guys, but I washed them so you have a change of clothes for tomorrow if you don't want to stop at your house before school." Riley pulled out a stack of clothes from a shelf in her closet. He looked them over and nodded. They were probably from one of the many times he practiced lacrosse with Riley and Scott over the holidays. He was sure he had some of Riley's stuff too, Scott's clothing was probably mixed into his own closet at this point.

Stiles shed his jacket and shoes some time into the night. They had been watching Netflix and joking around quietly. Coach had poked his head in at some point and eyed Stiles before telling them they better show up to class tomorrow. Riley had just stepped into her closet to change. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Boomer move toward the French doors, growling very low. He turned and pulled the curtain back enough to spot movement in the yard. 'Looks like our guest finally arrived', Stiles scowled in thought. He grabbed Riley's aluminum bat and slid the door open enough to face Derek.

"You seem a bit old to be singing high school girls midnight serenades." His voice came out stronger than he was feeling. He was scared but he was not letting this asshole lay a finger on his girl.

"She doesn't seem to be having the same issues as your friend. That kind of control right out of the gate seem unusual to me, seems like she's setting up to go off in a bigger, bloodier way. She can't play." He got to the point.

"Riley has not lost control yet. Besides more physical changes Friday, and protecting me today, you wouldn't guess she was anything but human dude." Stiles squared his shoulders and gave Derek a smartass grin, "If you want to discuss Riley's participation in extracurricular activities, Coach Finstock is here. I'm sure he would love to pull out one of his best players and _niece_ from the first game of the season."

Derek glared at him, "If she plays, someone is going to die. All it takes is one player pissing her off and it will be a bloodbath. She-wolves tend to be the most vicious, once she starts, she will not stop."

"You know _nothing_ about her. You have know _of_ her for maybe a week. We met you literally the morning after she was bit. I understand you know about werewolves, but she was a human first and that doesn't go away." Stiles had to take a breath to keep calm. His grip in the bat was so tight his fingers were white.

"It's not like I automatically can't play sports because I distinctly remember my uncle filling in for Coach Yoast in 2004. There was a _Derek Hale_ on the team for the champion game. It was one of the first things I did with my uncle after getting out of the hospital." Riley had snuck up on both of them. She ducked under Stiles' arm and tucked herself into his side. Stiles didn't let his eyes stray from their guest. He felt Boomer close in on the side opposite of Riley. He guessed Frank was probably at her side, but didn't want to risk looking away from Derek.

Derek's eyes flashed blue at the growling Boomer, but the dog didn't flinch or back down from the werewolf. Derek seemed a little surprised at that, enough that both teens could notice the minute change in expression. "If you change on that field-"

Riley cut him off, "If I feel like I might lose control, I won't play but that is my choice. You may be more experienced as a werewolf, but Stiles is right, you have no idea what I am capable of nor do you have a right to give me commands." Riley's eyes flashed gold but she remained composed. "I think it is time for you to leave."

Derek gave them both a look before nodding and turning to leave. He was less concerned for her after meeting her. She seemed to have found grounding in herself and in her _pack_. Unlike the other new wolf, she seemed to have reached an inner equilibrium. The annoying kid seems to contribute to that, maybe as her anchor or maybe _more…_

Stiles and Riley calmed some after Derek left. It was late and they were both ready to collapse. Riley went to wash her face and brush her teeth. She passed Stiles an extra toothbrush, a cheap new one from a dentist visit, so he could get ready for bed too. They quietly brushed their teeth side by side, neither had spoken since they finished with Derek as there was no need to. Stiles removed his jeans and tee shirt before pulling the covers of Riley's large bed back. He was on the right side, closest to the French doors. Stiles looking forward to sleeping, not only to hold Riley, but because her bed was huge and very soft. It was much more comfortable than his own bed. Once Riley settled in the bed, he pulled her over his chest. The warmth of her body and the soft bed sent him to sleep in short order. He didn't even feel the dogs make their own places on the bed.

"You little delinquents had better get up and get your asses to school!" Stiles and Riley woke to pounding on her bedroom door. It was still dark out and neither wanted to move from the warmth of the bed, intertwined together. Suddenly Stiles took a tail to the face, Boomer had stretched out at his back with his head toward the foot of the bed. Turning his head, he saw Frank on Riley's pillow above where her head rested on his chest. Dogs.

"What time is it?" Riley moaned out, not moving from her place a single inch. Stiles groped behind him, maneuvering around Boomers butt to reach the bedside table fro his phone.

"Like…fiveish…" Coach was a dick sometimes.

"I should punch him. School doesn't start for another two and a half hours." Both just closed their eyes and prepared to get at least 30 more minutes of rest.

"I don't hear movement in there! I have a bucket of ice water with your names on it if you don't move!" Damn that man. Both teens simultaneously groaned and pulled back the very soft and warm blankets piled on them. As they extracted themselves from the bed, the dogs in complete synchrony rolled into the warm spot they had just left. Riley started laughing while Stiles glared at them.

"That is so unfair, they get to sleep in…don't have to deal with school…" Stiles was mumbling.

"Frank has school too. I could see if Uncle wants to hang with Boomer in class if it will make you feel better. He is still allowed at the school as a service dog, even though we retired him." She pat his face, "If Scott goes through with his plan to not play, my uncle might need the comfort for his dying championship dreams." It wasn't the first time Boomer went to school since getting Frank. They didn't like leaving him alone all day since retiring. Plus a lot of the teachers, besides Harris, loved Boomer and gave him lots of attention when not on duty as her service dog.

After both teens were dressed, Riley fixed breakfast for everyone, just some bacon and her special scrambled eggs with toast. Her uncle spent the meal staring Stiles down. Stiles couldn't stop fidgeting and Riley had to hide her smile. She knew her uncle was just trying to mess with Stiles, like he did every time they were around each other at the Finstock house. It was a highlight of Bobby Finstock's life, messing with anyone she brought over.

"Do you want Boomer in class today?" She broke his laser stare to spare Stiles. "He hasn't been since we started back, and I don't want him getting lonely here…"

"He can sit with me, but I have to leave now so you're gonna have to bring him." Her uncle cleaned his plate and set it in the dishwasher. "If she isn't in class and on time today, you're gonna be running suicide drills until your legs fall off Blinsbi." With that lovely image, he left to get to work early.

"Well you heard the man Boomer, get your school bag boy!" Boomer looked up from his food bowl with his tail wagging. He went to grab his bag, like he was trained to. "Do we need to pick up Scott today?" She turned to Stiles, who was just finishing up his food. The boy shrugged and pulled his phone out to send their friend a text. He got an affirmative and Riley got both dogs ready to leave. Scott lived a bit farther away, so if they wanted to be on time they had to leave soon.

"Scott, Riley's opening the door, you have five seconds to get your furry butt in before I speed up!" Stiles shouted into his cell as they came in view of the McCall house. Riley opened the passenger door as a disheveled Scott bolted for the moving vehicle. He barely made it in before Stiles sped off, taking the speed limit as more of a suggestion.

"What the hell Stiles!?" Was all Scott could get out before climbing over Riley to sit in the back next to Boomer.

"I like my legs where they are Scott!" Was all Stiles shouted out as he tried to concentrate on the road. Riley was no help either, cackling like mad. Scott remained as he normally was, in a state of perpetual confusion.

The three occupants of Stiles' jeep made it safely to the high school nice and early. Stiles was not a fan of excessive running despite the training he started with Riley and he was not willing to risk Coach's ire at bringing her even a second late. They never did explain to Scott why Stiles was so riled up, but the boy had a feeling it had something to do with Riley's uncle. That man had a talent for getting under the boy's skin and messing with his head. All three teens, with two dogs in tow, made their way to Coach's office. Scott still had to talk about the game, Stiles wanted to present Riley to keep his legs like some messed up hostage exchange, and Riley had to drop Boomer off with her uncle.

"Hey Uncle B, I'm here to drop of Boomer. I think Scott also had to talk to you." Stiles gave the man a nervous wave and waited in the hallway. Riley set Boomer's bag, down near the dog corner of his office. She took out his travel bowl and a water bottle to get him situated as her nervous friend tried to get out of the game.

"What do you mean, you can't play the game tomorrow night?" Her uncle was incredulous.

"I mean- I can't play the game tomorrow night." Scott nervously repeated himself, like he would understand from those words alone.

"You can't _wait_ to play the game tomorrow night." Her uncle supplied.

Scott sighed in frustration, "No, coach, I _can't play_ the game tomorrow night."

"I'm not following." Scott should have let her come up with an excuse, theis would have gone much smoother.

"I'm…having some personal issues." The boy really should have let her handle her this, it was painful to watch.

"Is it a girl?" Coach fished.

"No." Scott didn't expand on that so the man continued.

"Is it a _guy_?" Riley had to hold a laugh in as her uncle continued, "You know, our goalie Danny is gay…"

"Yeah, I know, coach, but that's not it." Scott stuttered out.

"You don't think Danny's a – good lookin' guy?" Riley could hear Stiles laughing quietly in the hallway.

Scott's face was flushed as he tried to bring this conversation back on track. "I – think he's good looking. I – but I – I like girls. And that's not it, anyway! I – I-"

Her uncle cut Scott off, "What, is it drugs? Are you doing meth? Because I had a brother that was addicted to meth. You should have seen what it did to his teeth – They were all cracked and rotted. It was – it was disgusting."

Scott looked at Riley and Coach in shock at hearing that. "My – God. What happened to him?" Riley had never told him about an uncle who did meth…

"He got veneers." Both Finstocks chimed in unison, missing Scott's point completely. "Is – is that what this is about? Are you afraid of getting hurt, McCall?" Coach continued on.

"No – I'm – having some issues dealing with aggression…" Scott supplied.

"Well, here's the good news." Coach leaned into Scott's face like imparting a sacred grain of wisdom to the boy. "That's why you play lacrosse. Problem solved."

Scott was done with this, "Coach, I _can't_ play the game tomorrow night."

"Listen, McCall, part of playing first line is taking on the responsibility of _being_ first line." He was done too, "Now, if you can't shoulder that responsibility, they you're back on the bench until you're ready." Riley sighed, Scott should have let her handle this. Now he might do something crazy and/or stupid.

"If I don't play the game, you're taking me off first line?" Scott's voice cracked a bit.

Coach looked Scott in the eyes, "McCall, play the game." Scott left the room, leaving Riley with her Uncle and the dogs. Stiles was still out in the hallway waiting for her and Frank. "What is up with your friend Riley?" Riley stood from her position on the floor next to Boomer.

"I think…" She paused to gather her words and figure out a good excuse. "Some of the _guys_ have not been to welcoming of his appointment to first line. They _may_ have made this…abundantly clear to Scott." Not quite a lie, Jackson and his minions had made their displeasure apparent. Her uncle gave her a critical look at this

"Has he been… _threatened_ by some of the players?" She internally winced.

"Not in so many words…Jackson has been trying to exclude him at practice for example. Messing with Scott is why he wasn't…focusing and got hurt." Still not lying to her uncle, "I think Scott really wants to play, but Jackson had been getting to him. He really blames himself for the injury too."

"Jackson holds some of the blame, he may not be a full time defender, but he didn't appropriately shift the brunt of the force like I know he knows how. Underestimating his opponent like that…" Her uncle trailed off.

"I know that, and told Scott as such, but Jackson is petty and I'm positive he will retaliate. That retaliation may be why Scott is trying so hard not to play. Jackson may have said something and Scott would never say anything to me or Stiles…" That should be enough to shift the blame. Her uncle may be an ass, but he doesn't support outright bullying. Plus Jackson would for sure retaliate and when he did, it would wrap everything with a neat bow in her uncle's eyes.

"If he does try something, let me know Riley. That kind of toxic sprit can ruin a season. I'm not letting some superiority complex lose us a championship." She gave her uncle an innocent smile in agreement. If they were lucky, they might get rid of some of Jackson's cronies and have a place for Stiles on first line.

Stiles had stopped in the bathroom when Lydia ambushed Riley in between classes. "What is going on with McCall?" She demanded, "Why am I hearing that he will not be playing the game tomorrow?"

Riley sighed, if she was a monster when it came to lacrosse, what was Lydia? "You were ready to crucify him on the phone, why do you care if he decided he wasn't going to play?" Lydia shot her a look.

"Look, Jackson will be playing but he is still injured. I will not let us lose because that _loser_ decided he wanted to start something with Jackson." Riley had to hold back an eye roll.

"You do know, we have _won_ games without Jackson before." Last year there was a _bad_ stomach bug and the only first line players not glued to the toilet were Riley and Danny. Everyone else were people usually benched, like last choice players. Even Scott and Stiles were better players half dead and drunk. They had been sick too. Her uncle bribed some other students to play since they had so few people semi-well. They won three games like that.

Lydia glared at Riley before sighing. She would have to find her answers straight from the source. Riley was still obviously upset about their phone conversation and Lydia was not ready to swallow her pride and apologize to her female friend, which she knew she would have to. Riley was her friend, but sometimes Lydia took it for granted. All the other girls just fell in line, even Allison to an extent, but Riley was stubborn and would not back down when Lydia pushed her. Lydia decided now was not the time to push her further and walked off.

Riley shook her head and grabbed her books for the next class. The bell was going to ring and she didn't want to be late. Stiles was still freaked out from her uncle, who probably completely forgot that entire conversation. Speak of the devil, he came powerwalking toward her. Stiles put his hands on her shoulders and started pushing her to their next class.

"You know he isn't going to punish you right?" she giggled over her shoulder.

"He already hates me Ry! I don't want to give him a reason to…" He trails off and Riley took his distraction as an opportunity to turn around.

"Do what? Keep us from hanging out? He doesn't hate you Sti." She put a hand on his chest. Stiles looks away from her, chewing on his bottom lip. "He likes getting under your skin, you are so easy to rile up."

"I just… don't want to get on his bad side before I can even…" He turned back to her and they began walking to class.

"Before you can what?" Stiles shakes his head at her question. They made it to their shared classroom with time to spare. Stiles takes Riley's hand and pulls her toward their seats in the back. He wasn't ready to voice everything and this was not the place he wanted to do it.

Stiles was waiting for Riley to return from the gym complex so they could leave when he spotted his father and a deputy speaking with one of their vice-principals. He quickly hid around the corner before his dad could spot him.

"What are you doing?" His hear jumped out of his chest, Riley was standing there with Frank and Boomer.

"Shh! My dad's here!" He franticly told her in a low voice. "He's talking with Mr. Renshaw and Deputy Franks. Can you hear what they are saying?"

She peaked and saw the group of adults talking and tried to focus her ears. She had trouble hearing over Stiles heartbeat so close to her ear. He had molded himself into her back. "…everyone under the age of 18…home…9:30 p.m.…institute the curfew, effective immediately." When she finally got something she gasped in surprise.

"What? What is it!?" Stiles breath hit her ear.

"They are instituting a curfew…9:30, effective tonight." She explained.

Stiles scowled at that, "Unbelievable. He's out there trying to find a rabid animal while Derek, who actually did it, just does whatever he wants."

"You want to tell your dad about werewolves? Not sure how well it will go over but it seems like that will be the only way he can solve the case at the moment. Not sure how they would convict…or if a jail can hold a werewolf but…" Stiles just sighed.

"There has to be…" Stiles stopped midsentence.

"I don't like that look. That's your 'something seriously stupid is going to come out of my mouth' look." Riley stepped in his path. Scott walked up to them looking both annoyed and scared.

"What's going on? Why does he have his 'bad idea' face on?" Scott asked Riley.

Before she could answer, Stiles grinned at the and pulled both to him. "We've gotta find the other half of the body."

"Called it." Riley stated dryly.


End file.
